A Lion's Maiden
by Broli
Summary: Yuna was ready to settle down now that she was finally reunited with Tidus. However, problems at home force her to embark on one last big adventure with the Gullwings. On her journey, an encounter with a mysterious mercenary will forever change her. The mercenary also seems to have a hidden connection with the Gullwings. What does fate have in store for Yuna this time?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: All characters and features in this work of fiction are from the Final Fantasy game franchise which are owned by Square Enix (originally Square Co., Ltd.). This is purely a fan based story. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 01**

What should have been a happy ending, a happily ever after, for Yuna and Tidus did not come to pass. Unfortunately, Yuna's story was not yet finished. Fate still had other plans in mind. She still had a few more adventures in store before she can finally find her happily ever after.

On a tranquil moonlit night of Besaid Island, Yuna sat on a cliff base staring endlessly into the darken horizon of the ocean. She was lost in thought wondering why had things turned out the way they have and where she had gone wrong. _'It wasn't supposed to be this way. We have been thru so much together. Why isn't it working out? Something must be wrong with me!'_ Where did things go wrong for her?

After all the obstacles Yuna had to face and conquer to be with Tidus, their relationship just wasn't working out. She went thru epic battles with ghosts from the past and Vegnagun. But that took time. With time comes change. She spent two long years without him. In that time, Yuna had grown and matured while Tidus was restored by the fayth as the same 17 years old boy she first met. During her journey, everyone she'd known commented on her significant change (Tidus himself said so when they were reunited). She had grown into woman and he remained a boy.

When Tidus retuned, Yuna was as happy as any girl, no, woman in love can be. Still, she failed to realize the kind of impact two years apart can have on a relationship. It didn't take her long to notice something wasn't right, at least with her. It was much later on when she finally accepted the harsh truth that her relationship with Tidus just wasn't the same as before he faded away. The real truth being, she was no longer in love with him. She was no longer the girl that first fell in love with Tidus on their first adventure together to defeat Sin. She had become a different person.

However, Yuna still had hope. She held onto the hope that maybe if she stayed by his side, she would eventually fall in love again. Why not? There was no reason why she couldn't find that same love again. Tidus was still very much in love with her. In the following months nothing changed for the better. In fact, it only made her feel worse about herself. The only real problem in the relationship was Yuna. She was forced to accept that hanging on to false hope was pointless, she will never love him the same way again unless she tried something different.

In this situation, any normal woman would end her relationship and move on with her life. But Yuna was not a normal woman. She would never give up on anything so easily, even her troubled relationship. That and something else prevented her from ending it and moving on. Fear. The reason Tidus was brought back to existence was in way of a gift to Yuna for saving Spira from its crisis with Vegnagun. She was afraid if she were to ever leave Tidus, he might fade away once more. But after spending an entire year with him in Besaid, much to Yuna's relief, she began to realize that her presence or feelings did not determine if he vanishes or not, but it is the fayth that does so. The fayth wouldn't deny Tidus his existence just because she wasn't enamored with him anymore.

Yuna sat on the cliff base reflecting on everything that had happened, trying to find any solutions to her problems. _'Will I ever love him the same way again?'_ The same question had plagued her for many months. _'With the way I've been feeling for a while now…probably not any time soon.' _It was starting to dawn on her that it was time for a change. Continuing the current path won't lead anyway.

As lost as she was in thought, she failed to notice the silent footsteps approaching her. Tidus stopped a few feet behind her to look upon her with sadden eyes. _'Yuna. Why won't you talk to me?'_ He knew something had been troubling her for quite so time now, but she never shared it with him. As her lover, isn't he the one that is supposed to support her in her times of need? Whenever he tries offering any kind of help, she just gave him a fake smile and assured him that nothing was wrong. He knew her well enough to know something was wrong and that she was depressed. She was not as happy as she used to be.

Even while Tidus was left in the dark, he decided to take serious action for the woman he loved. "Yuna, we need to talk."

Yuna jumped slightly from the unexpected visit. "You surprised me. What's wrong?" She stood up and faced him.

"Yuna, we need to be honest with ourselves. We're having problems and its time we talk about it." He closed the small distance between them and placed both his hands on her shoulders. "Look, I know you're not happy so please don't try to deny it. I love you and I want to be there for you."

'_Love…that's the whole problem.'_ Yuna's gaze was downcast. "Do we really have to talk about this?"

"Please. I just want to see you happy. You can't solve anything keeping it bottled up inside."

Yuna turned away from him, releasing her from his grasp. The time had finally come to confess what she had kept hidden from him. _'How can I possibly tell him without hurting him?'_ There was no avoiding it. "Yes, you're right. I haven't been happy in a long time. I'm not happy about the way things are between us and it's all because of me." She spoke in a low sad voice.

"Yuna." Before she could say anything else, Tidus called for her attention. _'I kind of knew that was the problem. Which is why I hope what I'm about to do is the right thing.'_ In his haste, Tidus decided to proceed with his plan. This was an instance in which he should have listened to more of what she had to say. When Yuna was facing him, he reached into a pocket to pull out a small objective. "I know things aren't great right now but I know we can accomplish anything as long as we're together. Even saving the world…again if we have to. Which is why…" He then bends down on one knee.

'_?!'_ Yuna is shocked.

"I've been meaning to do this for a while now but never could find the right opportunity. Well… here I go." He opened his hand to reveal a diamond imbedded ring. "Yuna, you mean everything to me and I'm lost without you. Will you marry me?"

"…." Silence was the answer to his proposal. Yuna was completely blindsided. With the way things have been going in the relationship, this was the last thing she expected. Inside, she began to feel an overwhelming dread. Tears trickled down her cheeks as her knees buckled and fell to the ground.

"YUNA!" Tidus freaked and grabbed her by the shoulders before she completely fell over. "Are you are right?!

"…No." Yuna weakly whimper while shaking her head no.

"Are you ill? Do you need medical treatment?"

"No...you don't understand." Yuna looked at him with grieving eyes, knowing the pain she was about to inflict upon Tidus. "My answer is no. I can't marry you."

Tidus left go of her and stood, not believing what he was hearing. "Why?"

"I…" Yuna faltered. What she was about to say was probably the most difficult words she ever had to speak. "…Because…I…am not in love with you anymore!"

'_No! Is this really happening?'_ Now it was Tidus who had trouble standing. The only things he could see or hear was his world falling apart. He turned and began walking away.

"Tidus!" Yuna called after him.

"I'm sorry Yuna but I have to be alone right now." He answered gently and continued on his way.

Yuna had done it. She had broken his heart. She had hurt someone very important to her. Fresh droplets rolled down her face but she could not let herself breakdown sobbing. What can she possibly do now? "I have to leave!" She declared to herself. Without a second thought, she got to her foot and went back her home in the village of Besaid. The first thing she did when she got back was active the CommSphere (Communication Sphere). It wasn't long until there was a response.

"Hello Yuna. I'm glad to see you." The image of Shinra appeared on the sphere.

"Me too. How is everyone doing?" She gave the boy a fake smile.

"We're all fine. Everything is the same since you left us, though we still do miss having you around."

"Actually, that's why I'm contacting you. I want to return to the Gullwings!" She had made up her mind, to leave Besaid and all the problems there behind. This had been a long time coming. In fact she should have done this much early. Staying with Tidus for as long as she did only made the situation worse. She had to leave for both their sakes. Remaining will only cause more heartache.

"Really? Great! The others will be happy to hear the news." Shinra was almost jumping for joy in his sit.

"Can you pick me up tomorrow or are you in the middle of a mission?"

"Don't worry. As soon as Brother hears the news, he'll steer the Celsius in your direction, mission or not."

Yuna had to laugh at that. She really did miss the antics of the Gullwings. "Thanks. I'll be waiting for you then. See you later." Yuna waved farewell.

"Bye." Shinra happily waved and then the image faded.

Yuna let out a slow breath. She was relieved Shinra didn't ask her why she suddenly wanted to join the Gullwings again. _'Now I just have to pack my things before Tidus returns home.'_ They moved in together shortly after his reappearance and were madly in love. _'I think I'll spend the night at Lulu and Waka's place.'_ Once she was done collecting her things she was out the door. Leaving her home broke her heart but it had to be done.

After explaining the situation to Lulu and Waka, they let her spend the night. It was hard for them to accept that Yuna was leaving but if she says it's for the best then they'll just have to trust her judgment as they always did. Lulu spent the night consoling Yuna about Tidus, that she isn't blame herself for what was happening. However she argued if she wasn't to blame than whom? At least they both agreed that the relationship needed some distance.

The following morning, Yuna stood alone by the shore waiting. The Celsius was due to arrive any minute. She felt bittersweet about it. A part of her was excited about adventuring with the Gullwings again and the other part was saddened about leaving her home and Tidus.

"YUNA!" Just as Yuna thought about him, Tidus appeared running and calling for her.

'_I knew I had to face him before I left.' _ Yuna silently readied herself for the inevitable goodbye.

When Tidus reached her, he was almost hysterical. "What's going on here Yuna?! I got home lost night and found all your stuff gone and now I hear you're leaving Besaid. Look if this is about the proposal last night, we don't have to get married. We can just continue to live together. You don't have to leave!"

"Tidus…it's not about whether or not we get married. You've done nothing wrong. It's about me! I'm no good to you the way I am now. The proposal was like a wakeup call to how things really stand between us. So I decided I have to go."

"…So are you breaking up with me?" Tidus appeared that the life had been drained out of him.

"No! I am not breaking up with you. I still love you but…after what I said last night…" Yuna couldn't say it again.

'_That you're not in love with me anymore.'_ He nodded understanding what she meant.

"You will always have a special place in my heart." She tried to console him. "I'm not giving up on us yet. But staying here any longer won't change how I feel. I have to try something else. So maybe some time apart will help me figure things out."

"I don't know what to say. This is all so sudden. Is there any way to make you stay?"

"No."

"Not even if I beg you to stay?"

"No."

"Then can I come with you?"

"Tidus!" Yuna was now becoming was frustrated.

Tidus let out a weak laugh seeing his attempt at humor was not having the desired effect. He had already accepted the inevitable after the first no. The woman was head strong. Once she made a decision she practically never changes her mind. One of the traits he loves about her. "I know, I know. I was just kidding." He lovingly embraced her. "If you really have to do this then I won't stand in your way and I'll support you in any way I can. Just know I will always love you and I'll be here waiting for your return."

Yuna was touched by his acceptation of her decision to leave so readily. _'What's wrong with me?! Why can't I return the same feelings to such a loving person?'_ She was about to embrace Tidus as well until she was interrupted by a roaring from the sky. (It appears Tidus' destiny in love will be ill-fated.)

"YUNA!" All of a sudden the Celsius appeared with an overly excited Brother shouting thru the loudspeaker. "I'M HERE!"

Tidus chuckled and let go Yuna from his embrace. "I see someone hasn't changed."

"Yeah." She had to laugh as well. She watched as the airship landed and the bay door opened to reveal the faces of her two best friends.

"Yunie!" Rikku happily ran towards her cousin. She was so caught up in her excitement that she ended up tackling Yuna to the ground.

'_That had to hurt.'_ Tidus winced as if he felt her pain.

Yuna moaned and groaned as she struggled to her foot. "Rikku…I think you missed me a little too much"

"Ha ha…sorry." Once both were on their foot, they hugged each properly. "I'm so happy you're joining us again."

"Me too."

'_I wish I could say the same thing.'_ Tidus bitterly thought.

Paine casually walked up to the pair. "Sorry Yuna. She escaped before I could grab her. I hope you're not hurt too bad." She was poking fun at her blond friend.

"Well my butt is a little sore but other than that I'm fine." The girls shared a laugh for the first time now that they've reunited. "I'm glad to see you Paine."

"Same here." Paine couldn't help revealing one of her rare smiles. She was genuinely happy to see the former summoner.

"Hey Tidus." The petite thief wrapped her arms and legs around him as she jumped into his waiting arming, laughing all the way.

"Hey Rikku." Luckily, Tidus braced himself in time for the impact. He laughed along with his first friend in Spira. Despite his happy façade, inside he was still suffering. _'It's a shame I have to see her again under these conditions.'_ Under other circumstances, he would have been equally as excited as her. She had always held a special place in his heart since he first came to this world.

'_Each time I see those two together I can't help but wonder why Tidus didn't hookup with Rikku instead of Yuna.'_ Paine was silently observing the happy exchange between the two blonds. She noticed there was a natural chemistry there. When she saw Tidus looking her way, she causally waved at him. "Hey." Even though they're both close to Yuna, they themselves aren't very close friends. Because they haven't spent much time in each other company, she hasn't really opened up to him yet.

"Hey…" He returned the same greeting. The two blonds stared at her as if they were expecting something else.

"What?" Paine didn't like the looks she was getting.

Rikku placed both her hands on her hips. "Aren't you going to give him a hug?"

"Maybe next time." The warrior female kindly declined.

"I see you're still a big meanie." Tidus mimicked the same pose as Rikku.

"Hey! Quit stealing my lines you big meanie." Rikku playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"Last time I checked, you weren't the owner of that phrase." He couldn't hide the smirk of his lips.

"You're just making fun of us!" Rikku exclaimed.

"Guilty as charged." Tidus shrugged his shoulders.

Paine had to cut into their playful banter. "Excuse me. I would like to hear an apology." She was somewhat insulted.

The two of them stared at her again. A moment later they both broke out into loud hysterics.

"I'm being serious here…"

Yuna stand back watching them with a sad smile. _'I miss those days…'_ She was recollecting the times she was able to stand by his side and share in the honest, heartfelt laughter.

"YUNA!" A loud cry had caught everyone's attention. Brother had jumped on to shore and was running straight towards Yuna with arms wide open. As he was about to approach his target, a foot suddenly appeared on his path. Not noticing in time, he tripped and fell flat on his face. When he tried to get up, the same foot was placed on top of his head. Rikku then shifted weight on to her foot, forcing his face deeper into the sand. She always made sure that her brother's lecherous hands never touched their cousin.

"Well, this is our cue to leave. Let's get all your things aboard and lift off." The thief happily declared. This was the typical relationship between the two siblings so no one felt the need to say anything. The girls grabbed Yuna's belongings and carried them to the platform of the Celsius. Rikku quickly noticed something was strange when she set down what she was carrying in the cargo bay. There were only Yuna's things. She looked back and saw that Tidus had not followed them into the airship and remained on the shore. Whatever happy visage there was to him was now replaced by his true feelings of sadness. "What's wrong? Aren't you coming with us?"

"Sorry…not this time." His gaze was downcast, not yet willing to see the woman he loves leave.

"But…" Rikku was about to protest until she felt a gentle grasp on her shoulder.

"It's just me for now. So please…" Yuna urged her cousin not to make the situation more difficult.

"Okay." The blond thief understood the silent plea. She had been looking forward to adventuring with him again. She regretfully looked towards her friend. "Well it sucks that you're not coming with us so…we'll see you around."

"…"

'_Something must have happened with Yunie.'_ Rikku noticed something was wrong when Tidus didn't respond.

Brother jumped to his feet, happy to hear the news. "Don't worry I will take good care of her." As he entered the Celsius, he intended to give his cousin a comforting hug but changed his mind and went on his way when he saw the threatening gaze of his little sister.

"Come on Rikku lets go." Paine sensed it was probably a good idea to leave Yuna alone. Wordlessly, Rikku followed her up to the bridge.

Yuna stood alone atop of the platform gazing upon the man she once loved but hoped to love again in the future. Tidus, knowing it was finally time, returned her gaze to look upon the woman he still loved. No words were exchanged. Everything that could be said had already been said. No more words were needed. The Celsius' engines fired up and the bay door begun to lift to a close. Just before the door shut completely, he gave her one last smirk and a meaningful wink. _'This is not the end.'_

Yuna nodded showing she understood. The cargo bay was now sealed and the airship had taken to the skies. Yet, she remained rooted to the spot. A single tear ran down her face. She had done it at last. She had left the love of her life behind.

'_Goodbye…'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

Six Months Later…

Becoming a sphere hunter again had allowed Yuna to travel the world and become reacquainted with it. She was pleased to see there weren't any major conflicts anymore and that human civilization was progressing in a positive direction during the Eternal Calm. New Yevon and the Youth League had settled their differences after the defeat of Vegnagun and remained to this day. They remained for the same reasons they were created in the first place. There were people who still couldn't separate themselves from the teachings of Yevon and were overwhelmed by the rapid changes that continue to rock Spira, like with the introduction of machina into everyday society. As well as those interested in building a new world and a more modern view. The only difference was the two political organizations have learned to accept each other distinctions.

Of course not everything was going the way Yuna would have liked. Exposing herself to Spira again also meant exposing herself to the people, which also meant her celebrity status as the high summoner. As a private person, that posed a real problem. Whenever someone managed to identify her, crowds would hound her until she managed to escape. She didn't mind much the women and children but the men were another story. As a beautiful single woman, hoards of male suitors would consistently lineup to compete for her affections which often resulted in violence.

As for Yuna's personal life, she wasn't fairing much better in that department either. She still hasn't recovered from her failed relationship with Tidus. Most days she would have a smile on her face but no one could tell if it was genuine or not. On the few occasions she spoke with Tidus thru the commsphere, afterward, she was left mopping around the airship and sometimes even slept on a tear soaked pillow. The high summoner was a shell of her former self. She couldn't get over the fact that after everything she had gone through to get him back, the simple matter of her maturing a little prevents them from being together. For whatever happens in the future, Tidus will always be her first love. They will just have to deal with the pain that comes with a failed love.

Recently, business hasn't been going very well for the Gullwings. It's been a while since the last time the airship's sensors have detected any signs of a new sphere. Since they were limited on options, they decided to do things the old fusion way and comb the land. The Macalania Woods was always a safe bet. In the past, the area was known for having lakes flowing with the liquid substance that made up a sphere. The lakes have mostly dried up since then but a sphere might still be found if one searches hard enough.

On this expedition, while the girls usually go by themselves, Brother decided to head out as well to help in the search. Of course there was an ulterior motive for going along. Seeing as Yuna was single again, at least in his opinion, Brother took advantage of the situation to try and impress her in hopes of winning her heart (however futile it may be).

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" Yuna was concerned about his safety.

"Yes, yes. I am sure. With me here, we are sure to find a sphere. I am a great sphere hunter." Brother couldn't help bragging in front of his cousin.

"Forget about him Yunie. If he wants to get himself killed, then let him." Rikku demonstrating her sisterly love.

"There shouldn't be any real danger. There haven't been many dangerous fiends here since Sin was still around. I think it'll be safe to split up in four different directions. That way we can cover more ground." Paine wanted to take advantage of the additional person to search for the sphere, even if it was Brother.

Yuna had to agree with the warrior girl. "Okay. But at the first sign of trouble I want you to use the commlink to call for help." It didn't take long for her to fall back into the role of leader when she returned to the team. With the plan set into action, each team member went off on their own to cover a specific area. What was supposed to be a simple scavenging mission will prove to be disastrous for one of them.

-o-

Unfortunately for Brother, he chose to go to the area of the Macalania Woods where of O`aka's Shop was located. Midway to the shop Brother began to hear a loud commotion up ahead in the distance and decided to investigate. "Fryd fyc dryd?" (What was that?) As he got closer, he was able to distinguish the noise as bombs exploding followed by the cries of a fiend. It sounded as if a war was going on. Just as he was about to reach the commotion he suddenly found himself surrounded by numerous and hostile fiends. Brother just stood frozen stiff out of fright. He was staring upon the ferocious fiends and what could be his impending doom.

-o-

Meanwhile elsewhere, Yuna was gazing spellbind upon a small lake recalling bittersweet memories. She had chosen to search this area specifically because of it. The lake where she shared her first kiss with Tidus. _'It was so easy to fall in love with him then.'_ What had changed since then? She couldn't find the answer. _'Maybe I should have let him come with us.' _In the past months, her feelings for him haven't changed at all. Maybe adventuring with him would have been a better choice.

"HELP! I don't want to die. AAHHH…" There was an abrupt shout over the commlink from Brother.

"Brother, what's wrong?" The high summoner was snapped out of her musing.

"What is it you idiot?" Rikku soon answered thru the commlink, followed by Paine.

"Did something happen?"

"…" The girls waited for a moment for Brother to respond but all they heard was static.

Yuna was growing worried. "Guys, this looks bad. We should go to where he is ASAP!"

"Roger." Rikku and Paine replied in unison.

The high summoner gave the lake one last forlorn look, before breaking into a mad dash in an attempt to reach Brother before anything serious occurs. She should reach him first since she was the closest one to his position.

-o-

When the fiends were about to pounce onto their prey, Brother finally managed to snap out of his stupor and then ran for all the worth in his life. Running with shrieks of horror and yelling for help. He tried whatever he could think to escape like dodging and weaving thru the trees, and jumping onto the large crystal formations. To his relief, it appeared as if he had lost most of the fiends until he tripped over a root of a tree and went tumbling to the ground. A moment later he picked himself up on his hands and knees, shortly afterwards he heard the stumping of something walking his way. When he looked up he saw with frighten eyes, a large menacing Balivarha (a powerful type of ruminant). "No…" Once again feeling the paralyzing power of fear, Brother didn't move a muscle not even as the fiend was charging towards him. As the fiend was closing in, it lowered its razor sharp horns aiming to impale him thru the chest. As Brother watched the fiend about to deliver the deathblow, his entire world went black.

-o-

As Yuna predicted, she was the first to arrive to the scene. She covered her month as she gasped at the sight that greeted her. "Holy shit! What happened here?" Dozens upon dozens of butchered fiends lay littered across the ground, some even hung from the brunches of trees or maybe just parts of them (it was too messing to really tell). The ground was painted crimson from the large volumes of spilled blood from the slain fiends. Even the sight of the pyreflies, as they gracefully fly thru the remains, could do little to improve ghastly scene. Yuna herself had killed many fiends but never had she witnessed such a horrific sight, it even rained blood underneath some of the brunches.

'_Did Brother do this? No…that would be impossible.' _The former summoner looked around again but did not see him anywhere. "Brother…Brother…" She called out to him a few times however she never received a reply. Just as she was about to panic, a deafening shrill arose from somewhere behind her. Apparently she had caught the attention of a fiend. Hastily doing a one-eighty, she spots a large Deep Haizhe (which looks like a flying starfish) gliding down towards her ready to attack. Unlike Brother who froze at the first sign of danger, Yuna fearlessly drew her twin pistols ready to defend herself. As she was taking aim and about to pull the trigger, there was a shout from another person.

"DON'T MOVE!"

Yuna looked over her shoulder only to see a freakishly fast blur of black and blue, if she had blinked once she would have missed it. As soon as it seemed the blur was going to crash right into her, she let out a shriek while shutting hers eyes and braced herself for the impact. Just as it was about to collide with Yuna, it swiftly soared over her en route for the Deep Haizhe. When the impact never came, she managed to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a blade of blue as it cut deep into the fiend. As soon as the blade reached the mid-section there was a thunderous blast followed by blood and guts scattering in all directions whereas what remained of the fiend fell to the ground dead.

'_Holy shit!' _Yuna gawked at the remains of the Deep Haizhe. She couldn't believe what she just witnessed. Prying her eyes away from the fiend, she caught the sight of a lone figure a short distance away. Her apparent savior had his back towards her, wearing mostly black and carrying a bizarre weapon the likes of which she had never seen before. The sword-like-weapon was massive, what appeared to the hilt was metallic silver in color and the blade itself was like a luminescent blue.

"Umm…hello…" As the high summoner searched for the right words to speak, completely forgetting about poor Brother, she observed with greater detail her savior's appearance. He was about six feet in height and had shoulder-length chestnut brown hair. His attire consisted mostly of black leather. He wore a distinctive short-sleeve jacket, which barely reaches his waist. His pants were pulled over a pair of combat boots. Then she noticed an odd feature, around his waist he wore several belts, one was tied to his pants like normal and the other three hang loosely crisscrossing each other. "Thank you. I guess you kind of saved me." She said 'kind of' because she could have killed the fiend herself.

"…..." After a long moment, the stranger gave her a sideways glance and relied with a shrug. "Whatever."

"Are you the one who did all this?" She raised her hand to indicate the carnage around them.

He shook his head in annoyance as his turned to face her. "Me? No, not at all. All these unfortunate fiends must have suffered from a bad case of spontaneous combustion." His remark was teeming with sarcasm.

Yuna was stunned by his openly rude remark, even though part of her did recognize that it was a rather stupid question to ask. _'But that doesn't give him the right to respond in such a way! Just who does he think he is?'_ Now glaring at the man before her, she opened her mouth to voice her disapproval. "Just who do you…?" But she trailed off as she noticed something else about him. That he was a wearing a sliver chained necklace with a pendent over a white t-shirt. The pendent was a stylized lion's head over a cross. But what caught most of her attention was the fact that he was incredibly handsome. Yet he had a scar that ran diagonally between his eyes, an imperfection that seemed to enhance his appeal. Yuna tried to restrain the blush on her cheeks under the intense gaze of his steel blue eyes. Under his gaze she felt dreadfully nervous, it felt like it could penetrate her very core. "Just who are you anyway?" She hesitantly asked.

"Yuna!" Someone called out to her before the stranger had a chance to answer.

The high summoner spotted Paine and Rikku quickly approaching and gasped. _'Oh no! Brother!'_ She suddenly remembered her original purpose for being there.

'_That stupid brother of my better be alright…?!'_ The thief girl stopped dead in her tracks at the bloody scene before her. "What in the world happened here?"

"Who cares? We're here for something more important." Paine was obviously more accustomed to such things thanks to her experiences in the Crusaders. She had to drag her friend the rest of the way to Yuna. "Did you find him?"

"No, I haven't been able to look for him yet because I was attacked by a fiend just now." Yuna was now visibly worried.

"Wow. Who's your new friend?" The blond thief just noticed the handsome stranger and couldn't hide her childish grin.

"I don't know him. He just appeared out of nowhere…wait!" Yuna thought of something and then faced her rude savior. "We're here searching for a friend of ours. Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he looks like a big stupid yellow canary with tattoos." Rikku gave a perfect description of her brother.

The man sighed and looked down in thought, at first not knowing whom they were referring to. He then points in the direction of a human body on the ground. "You mean that guy over there?" The girls turned to where he was pointing to see a large decapitated Balivarha, a few feet away laid the body of Brother. When the girls reached the body, they were petrified by what they saw. Brother was laying on his back covered in blood from head to toe. They could only fear the worst. In a panic, the girls examined him trying to determine the severity of his wounds. Since they were preoccupied, they failed to notice the inquiring stare the stranger gave one of them. _'I can't believe I ran into her like this.'_

"Please, is there anything you can do to help him?" In desperation she asked for the stranger's aid. She didn't have a clue on what to do; she couldn't find what was wrong with Brother.

"Please help him." Paine also asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. Please." It was interesting to see even Rikku pleading for her brother.

The man groans in frustration while holstering his weapon. (He keeps the weapon fastened to the left side of his waist since he draws it with his right hand.) "Ladies. Relax. He is perfectly fine."

"Can't you see he is covered in blood." Yuna protested.

"That isn't his blood."

"No! Then why is he unconscious?" The former summoner couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Because…" The stranger went on to explain while the Balivarha was charging towards Brother, he quickly snuck up from its side and chopped off the Balivarha's head before it even knew he was there. The blood that came gushing out from the neck was what bathed Brother in blood. The stranger had checked Brother to see if he was all right before moving on to finish off the rest of the fiends in the area. "As for his unconsciousness, he probably just fainted."

"WHAT!?" The girls yelled in union.

"Pathetic." Paine shook her head in a disapproving manner.

"How dare you scare me like that?!" An enraged Rikku kicked Brother with such force it caused him to flip over.

Yuna only giggled joyously, relieved to know her cousin was unharmed. The girls then try to figure out what they were going to do with him. Initially, they tried to wake him by shaking and calling to him, or in Rikku's case, kicking him a few times. Still he remained motionless. The girls were left with the only option of somehow moving him to the Celsius.

"Come no guys. If we work together, we can carry him back the Celsius." Yuna proposed.

"We could also just drag him back." Countered Paine.

"We can't do that to our leader."

"I say we just leave him here." Said the blond thief.

"I'm open to that option too." Added Paine.

"I can't believe you two." Yuna exclaimed.

'_Poor guy.'_ Standing close by with his arms crossed over his chest, the stoic stranger watched the girls as they continued to bicker over poor Brother's fate. He shook his head in exasperation. _'Women can sure be a pain in the ass.'_

"No way, I am not going to carry him and that's final!" Rikku protested.

When the bickering didn't seem to be coming to an end in the near future, the man sighed heavily and proceeds to walk past them. The girls were silenced at last as they noticed him stride right past them and effortlessly threw Brother over his shoulder. "Where do you want him?" Yuna and Rikku only stared at him in mild shock because of how easily he lifted someone as big as Brother. This guy was a lot stronger than he looked and he already looked strong.

-o-

The whole trek back to the airship was mostly held in silence, the girls lead the way followed by the stoic stranger carrying Brother. Upon reaching the Celsius, they head straight to the bridge where Buddy was monitoring the sensors at his terminal while Shinra sat at his workstation, working on his next invention.

"Hey guys, you're back earlier than expected. Did you find anything?" Buddy turned in his sit to greet them.

"We found something alright?" Paine sarcastically remarked.

"Yeah. Trouble." Rikku chuckled. "So we had to come back early."

Yuna turned to the stoic stranger as he entered the bridge. "Thank you for saving Brother's life. You really helped us out there."

"Whatever." He showed no sign of any emotion. "Where do you want me to put him?" Referring to the load he was carrying.

"Just drop him anywhere." Answered Rikku.

Doing exactly as he was told, the stoic stranger pushed Brother off his shoulder who landed on the floor with a loud lump. The impact caused Brother to finally show signs of life, as he moaned and groaned.

"What the hell happened to him?" Buddy, out of concern, left the terminal to get a closer look at his bloody friend.

"He is the reason why we came back so early. It seems he fainted during a fiend attack." Paine answered monotonously.

"Yeah and Brother is still alive thanks to our new friend." Yuna stood next to the expressionless stranger and wrapped her arm around his. "He killed the fiend before it had a chance to hurt him. That's the fiend's blood you're looking at." She now wore an inexplicable smile.

"Why were you there wasting fiends anyway?" Paine asked.

"I…" The man wrenched his arm free from its captor. "…was hired by this oddball named O'aka to take care of his fiend problem that was affecting his business. They were scaring away customers from his business. Apparently, a large number of them recently spawned from a crater nearby his shop."

"…Do you actually do that as a job?" Rikku nervously asked.

"Yes. I'm mostly employed as a bodyguard or bounty hunter. Occasionally, I exterminate fiends or get a rescue mission. I'll do anything if the price is right, a mercenary basically." He spoke with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Does that include sphere hunting?" Brother asked sitting cross-legged on the floor. Brother had regained consciousness some time ago and had been listening to the entire conversation.

The mercenary thought about it for a second and shrugged. "…Sure. Why not? Anyway, I have business to conclude with O'aka." Without giving anyone a chance to say another word, he hastily did an about-face and marched to the sliding-door. For a brief moment, he stealthily glanced at one of the girls as he left the bridge. _'It's a shame. I might not see her again.'_

After the sliding-door closed behind the soldier-for-hire, Rikku quickly spun around. "That guy is a little scary, but he sure is good looking. Don't you think so too Paine?" Rikku exclaimed.

Paine just shrugs. "Whatever."

Yuna remained staring at the spot where the mercenary once stood, feeling oddly sadden for some reason. Could it be because she had to watch him leave? The sensation she was feeling was eerily familiar somehow. It almost reminded her of a time when she had to watch someone she deeply cared for go away, or more precisely fade away. _'It's a shame I couldn't get to know him a little better. I didn't even catch his name.'_

"GULLWINGS!" Bother, now standing, suddenly called everybody to attention. "I want you three to go rest and then continue hunting for spheres when you're ready."

"Aren't you are coming with us?" Questioned Yuna.

"No, I have to look into something that could really benefit us."

"Meyn! E pad oui'na zicd clynat." (Liar! I bet you're just scared) Rikku teased in Al Bhed.

"CRID IB!" (Shut up)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

As ordered by their fearless leader, the women of the Gullwings rested for a short while before continuing the hunt. This time though, they wisely chose to stay together after the disastrous first excursion of the day. As they ventured further thru the Macalania Woods, they began to realize a sad truth. Much like the woods was slowly dying, so were their chances of finding a sphere.

Thru the whole excursion, the high summoner was quiet and only spoke when necessary. Her mind had been preoccupied with what had happened earlier in the day. The same thought never left her. She decided to voice what was on her mind the minute they were about to head back to base. "Guys, I think we should go to O'aka's shop."

"Really? It'll be sunset soon but sure why not." Paine found this interesting. The high summoner hadn't said much of anything and now this. _'I think I know where this might be headed.'_ Paine gave her a knowing look.

"AHAA!" Rikku excitedly pointed an accusing finger at her cousin. "I knew this would happen." It seems both the warrior and thief were on the same page.

"What?!" Yuna stepped back baffled from this unexpected reaction from her friends.

"You've been rather quiet ever since Mr. Good Looking left." Rikku continued.

"Are you talking about the mercenary?!" Yuna was starting to think opening her mouth in the first was a bad idea.

"Yes." Answered Paine.

"Yes." Rikku agreed. "You only want to go to the shop to see him again." _'Of course, I wouldn't mind seeing him either.'_

"NO!" The high summoner strongly denied. _'Okay maybe just a little. But I'm not about to admit it.'_ "I want to go because of what he told us. He said lots of fiends suddenly emerged from the crater. There could be another problem with the Farplane. I'm going there only for the sake of Spira."

"For the sake of Spira? You know if anyone else had said that, I'd say they were full of shit. But that's not the case with you." The female warrior was not sold.

"Yeah right." The blond thief laughed. "Yunie has saved the world a few times now…" Not believing the ex summoner either, the warrior and thief turned their backs and started walking towards the shop while poking fun at their friend.

"Yes for Spira." Yuna received no response and was now being left behind. She found it disturbing how sometimes her friends knew her a little too while. _'So much for an ulterior motive.'_ She sighed in defeat.

-o-

"Lady Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. What a pleasant surprise to see you here. How may I, O'aka XXIII, be of service to you?" O'aka welcomed the girls as they entered his shop.

"O'aka, it's so nice to see you." The high summoner happily smiled. She was happy to see that the shop was still in business even with the fiend problem. She still remembered when she meant O'aka when he was first starting out and was asking for donations. Deciding to take a chance, Yuna and her friends gave him the money that he needed as an investment. _'Which reminds me, all we got in return was a shop discount. It doesn't really bother me but Rikku on the other hand…'_

"Hiya." The thief waved with a fake smile. Seeing the shop owner again had brought up an old grudge. _'Where's my money you old fuck? Don't you know the meaning of investment you retard? And I thought I was the thief here!'_

"Hey." The female warrior greeted as she normally did. Luckily, she had no prior ventures with the shop owner. "Yuna, I'm going to look around and see if I'll buy something while you do the talking."

"Good idea! I'll look too. That way we can take advantage of our special SHOP DISCOUNT!" Rikku yelled the last part over Yuna's shoulder for some unknown reason.

"…Okay." Yuna then went up to the counter ready to speak with the shop owner and finally put her mind at ease from what had been tormenting her throughout the day. "We heard about the fiend problem you've been having so we came here to learn more about it. Do you think it has something to do with the Farplane again?"

"Oh my heavens no. Not in the least. What happened now is nothing in comparison with what happened almost two years ago. Every once in a while, fiends are going to pop out of that crater. This time, however, the pop was a lot bigger than usual. So there's no need to worry." He finished with a chuckle.

"I'm glad to hear that. I can be more at ease now that I know nothing is wrong. But why didn't you ask us for help? You know we're always willing to help." Now that the first stage had been cleared, she was ready to move on to her real motivation for being there.

"Lady Yuna, the people of Spira cannot come running to you every time they have a problem. We have to learn how to help ourselves. You've done more than enough for us. Now you must concentrate on yourself and live out your own life."

Yuna fell silent pondering what she just heard. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I should focus more on myself for once and let others solve their own problems." Sadly, she was reminded of her aching heart which had not yet reclaimed the love for someone very special to her. "But I can never turn my back to someone in need. It's a part of who I am and helping others makes me happy."

"I understand." It warmed his heart to know that the high summoner was still willing to aid him and Spira.

It was finally the right moment to make her move. "So um…how did you solve your fiend problem?"

"Oh. I hired a fine young man to do the job."

"Really? Please tell me more." She gave him an encouraging smile.

"It cost me quite a large sum of gil but it was well worth it. He got the job done in just a few hours. I just finished paying him a while ago."

Yuna, unable to resist any longer hesitantly asked. "Um…who is he?"

"Funny. Now that you mention it, he never told me his name." O'aka scratched his head in thought.

Yuna was disappointed by the answer but was not about to surrender. "Is there anything you do know about him?"

"Only what I've heard from the rumors. Being a merchant, I often deal with people from all over Spira. They've told me varies tales in passing about a mysterious mercenary with an even more mysterious weapon. They said if I want the best for a job I should get him, but it's hard to track him down because he is always on the move. Thankfully, he was in Bevelle escorting a priest's daughter. I heard he had to rescue her from a gang of bandits. Since he was close by, I was able to get a hold of him shortly after the fiends showed up. I'm telling you Lady Yuna, I was very lucky to find someone of his caliber so quickly. It's almost as if fate brought him here." If only O'aka knew how right he was, fate did bring the mysterious mercenary to that place. But for what purpose was still not clear, only time will tell.

-o-

As the last rays of the setting sun faded into the horizon, the girls had left the shop and were now headed back to the airship. Yuna, a few steps ahead of her two friends, was once again silent thru most of the trip back. Her thoughts were still on the mercenary and what she heard about him from O'aka. She had thought to satisfy her curiosity by learning something about the mysterious mercenary. However it appeared as if it had the opposite effect, the little that she learned only increased her curiosity. Her one question had turned into many more. She would have continued musing on the matter until she was abruptly interrupted.

"Why the sudden interest in that mercenary guy, Yunie?" Rikku had been sensing something different about her cousin and obviously it had to do with the mercenary. Before, she thought it was a simple attraction towards him, much like herself. But it could actually be something else entirely. This was the first time Yuna had shown any real interest in anything since returning to the Gullwings.

Yuna stopped dead in her tracks stupefied by the question. _'That's right! Why?'_ Why was she interested in learning more about a man she had briefly met? It didn't occur to her until now. Was it because of her first impression of him? The first time she came face to face with him, her heart skipped a beat and even lost the will to speak. Remembering his penetrating steel blue eyes causes her to blush again. No one had ever caused her to react that way, at least not at first sight. Now too embarrassed to look at her friends behind her, she didn't turn around. "What are you talking about?" She pretended not to know.

"Yuna, don't play dumb, we heard you talking about him with O'aka." Said Paine.

"But…but…how?!" Yuna stammered while abruptly facing her friends now even more embarrassed.

The warrior girl gave her a condescending smirk. "The shop isn't that big, we could have heard you no matter where we were standing."

"Yeah, now answer the question Yunie." Rikku demanded.

"…" The ex summoner wasn't sure what to say since she didn't the answer herself.

"Is it because of his good looks?" Rikku only asked because she was absolutely loving the reaction this line of questioning was producing from her cousin.

Yuna's face was now beet red. "NO! That's not it at all." She exclaimed. _'Well…maybe.'_ She thought a second later. Searching for any excuses she said the first one that came to mind. "When I was looking for Brother, he killed the fiend that was about to attack me. So I feel like I owe him something and…"

Rikku decided to finish the sentence for her. "And now you have a crush on him."

Yuna lets out an exasperated shriek then angrily stumps away from them. "YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!" She yelled over her shoulder.

Rikku started to laugh hysterically and Paine only smiled.

-o-

When the girls finally returned to the Celsius, Yuna was still a little peeved about her earlier embarrassment. Shortly after entering, the airship's intercom came to life with Brother on the line. "Good you're back. Now hear this: All Gullwings report to the bridge. Repeat all Gullwings report to the bridge." His voice noisily echoed throughout the entire airship.

"What the hell does he want? Doesn't he know we're dead tired after such a long search?" Grumbled Rikku.

"Let's go see what he wants." Paine said while heading to the elevator.

'_I really don't want to attend any meetings right now.'_ Yuna mentally groaned, sluggishly following the others. Little did she know that after the meeting her life in the Gullwings will never be the same again.

After passing the sliding door, they found Brother and Buddy waiting for them at the center of the room. "Good, now that everyone is here we can get started. The reason for this gathering is to announce that as of today, I have made a vital change to the Gullwings which will greatly improve us." Brother began his announcement. Hearing the announcement, the girls gave each other a nervous glance, not liking what they've heard so far. "This change will make the Gullwings a stronger, faster well-oiled machina the likes of which the world has never seen. This change will make the job of sphere hunting a great deal easier for us. It will also help us in the battles to come. It will benefit the Gullwings in many ways. I have to say that I'm quite proud of myself. I have an eye for these things. You can say that I am…." He didn't get to finish since someone else had cut in without warning

Rikku, growing impatient, decided to finish her big brother's sentence. "…full of shit." She was annoyed by his nonstop rambling. "Just get to the point and tell us what this change is already!"

"She's right. You are laying it on a little thick." Buddy had to agree.

Brother glared at his little sister, who in turn did the same_. 'Esbydeahd meddma pnyd.'_ (Impatient little brat) He thought before continuing. "The change is that we have a new member."

After hearing there was a new member to the Gullwings, Yuna's body temperature skyrocketed and her heart rate speeded up in trepidation. _'…It can't be…him…could it?' _ She wouldn't know how to feel or react if it was him. As for the reason for her apprehension, not even Yuna herself knew.

"A new Gullwing! But why? We don't need anyone else. Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings were just fine before." Rikku protested.

Buddy stepped forward. "I had my doubts as well, although after meeting the guy I think Brother may be right on this one. This guy might actually become a real asset to the team. He seems to be a very talented individual. You'll see for yourself when he gets here. A while ago he went to tour the airship. He'll probably be here soon enough."

Finding out the new member was a guy didn't help the ex summoner's apprehension. "...Who is he?" She hesitantly asked.

Brother, more than happy to answer any of Yuna's questions, proudly smirked as he spoke. "The new Gullwing which I have recruited is…" The hissing of the bridge door opening stopped him mid-sentence, which was then followed by a deep gruff voice.

"Let's get this straight from the very beginning. I am not a part of your team. I'm just a simple hired hand that will be traveling with you and aiding you in sphere hunting, nothing more." The new arrival said as he descended the platform and made his way to the center of the bridge to join the others. Clearly, anyone could see he was a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point kind of guy.

'_It's him!'_ Yuna gaped in bewilderment. The new member was none other than the, so far nameless, mercenary that had been plaguing her thoughts since they first met hours ago.

There was an awkward silence as the girls digested the idea of the mercenary they met earlier joining them. When nobody said anything, Buddy decided to break the ice by addressing the newcomer. "I believe you haven't formally met the girls yet."

"I already know who they are." Monotonously relied the mercenary.

"Yes, but they don't know who you are. So why don't you introduce yourself?" Countered Buddy.

"…Fine." The mercenary sighed in frustration and turned his gaze to the girls. Looks like he was not a fan of introductions.

As soon as Yuna looked into his captivating steel blue eyes, all the apprehension she had to this point was washed away to be replaced by a warm sensation throughout her entire body, which also sent a chill down her spine. _'Finally…'_ The moment she'd been waiting for had arrived.

"Well, as I've said before I am a mercenary and I will be joining you in your travels and assisting you in your missions. I hope we'll be able to get along and I hope to avoid becoming a burden to you." He stated without any emotion on his face or tone. It sounded like he was boringly reading a laundry list.

"And?" Yuna, giving him her undivided attention, asked after it appeared that he was done speaking.

"And what?" His confusion was apparent on his face. He thought he was done with the introduction.

"And your name silly." Yuna was giggling, finding his reaction too cute.

"Oh….Right….My name is Squall. Squall Leonhart."

'_Squall Leonhart…what a beautiful name.'_ Yuna thought as she approached him. With a genuine smile, she held out her hand to properly greet him. Squall stared at her hand for a second before taking it into his own. "It's nice to formally meet you. My name is Yuna."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the person who took my purpose in life away from me." He said loud enough for only her ears to hear. He didn't give Yuna a chance to react as he swiftly lets go of her hand and moved on to the next person to greet.

The smile she once wore was now gone. Yuna was extremely perplexed by his comment and a little peeved to be brushed aside like that. _'What did he mean by that? How could I take his purpose in life away when we've just met?' _She decided to push those thoughts aside for the time being and look into it another day, he will be around from now on.

After managing to pry his hand away from Rikku's over enthusiastic hand shaking, Squall was at long last about to greet the person he was most interested in meeting. _'There she is!'_ He hesitated for a moment before making his way towards her.

"Welcome aboard, my name is Paine." She found it strange how he seemed to think twice before finally grabbing her hand.

Squall just held her hand as he stared into her ruby colored eyes. His lips began to curve into a smile so small, no one can ever hope to notice it, except for the one person who had been watching him very intently.

'_Is he smiling?'_ Thanks to the many years Kimahri spent with Yuna, she learned how to read even the most stone-faced of men. She also noticed that he was holding onto Paine's hand longer than he did with Rikku and herself.

While still holding her hand, Squall unconsciously ran a finger from his spare hand along the scar on his face. Paine stared at him awkwardly because of it. Recognizing the change in her, he promptly released her hand and turned towards Brother. "So where is my sleeping quarter?" Before anyone had a chance to answer, Rikku impulsively wrapped her arms around his left one. "What are you doing?" he asked seemingly unfazed by her impulsive action, despite the fact that his arm was pressed up against her perky bosom (of course she did that intentionally).

"I'm going to show you where you'll be sleeping Squally." She answered with a mischievous grin.

'_Squally?!…Where did that come from?…Something tells me that I'll be having quite a few headaches in the near future. I better stock up on painkillers. Wait! There was a bar in this airship. Good, that'll be something to look follow to when the painkillers aren't enough…'_ He was snapped out of his reverie when Yuna, not one to be out done, mimicked Rikku as she wrapped her arms around his right one.

"ME TOO!" She cheerfully declared. At that moment, the two girls began to drag a very unamused mercenary out of the bridge. As Yuna was pulling him along, she realized with flushing cheeks that Squall was very well-toned, with muscular arms that spoke of much untapped strength. Looking at Rikku, Yuna saw that she was flushed as well, probably from having noticed the same thing.

After the three of them disappeared from sight, Buddy let out a small chuckle. "In a way, I sort of envy and pity him at the same time."

"Yeah. He reminds me of how I was when I first joined here. I was only here for my own purposes, not to be part of some team. I didn't like those two very much either at first. However, with time I'm sure he'll grow to appreciate them as much as I do, he might even consider himself a Gullwing someday." Paine wore a cheerful smile, recalling her first days with the Gullwings.

"Until that happens, let's hope they don't get on his nerves too much, enough to drive him to use his weapon on them." Shinra spoke for the first time that day. He didn't bother to turn away from his workstation.

"Why, is there something special about his sword?" Inquired Paine, interested in learning more about Squall's unique weapon.

Shinra shook his head in disapproving manner. "You're only partially right in calling it a sword. You did notice the odd shape of it, right? That's because it's more than just a sword, it's also a gun as well. It combines the functions of both weapons supposedly. I believe it's called a gunblade."

"Gunblade? How can it possibly be both a sword and a gun?" The female warrior inquired farther.

The boy genius turned to face the others and rested his hands together. "I don't really know how it works. I would have to examine it to find out. I only know as much as I do because my father showed me some diagrams of it. He played a part in its creation a while ago. He said that a Crusader was working on it with many talented Al Bhed so that he could use it in battle against Sin."

"So you're saying that this Crusader could be Squall. He probably is if he carries the same weapon." Paine deduced.

"Correct. A weapon created to fight Sin can only be deadly. So that's what I meant about getting on his nerves, if he ever decides to use the gunblade on Yuna or Rikku, we'll be cleaning them off the walls for months." There was no humor in Shinra's statement. He was dead serious.

"I see what you're saying. I better warn them about that." Paine had a nervous look on her face.

-o-

Meanwhile, Yuna and Rikku led a still unamused Squall to a corridor down in the engine room. There was a long corridor beneath the stairs with four sliding doors lining each wall with one additional door on the adjacent wall. Each door led to a basic storage room about the size of a typical college dorm room.

Rikku happily stood in front of her new teammate. "This area is where the men sleep. The spare rooms, to your right, store mostly old furniture and spare parts for the engines. The door, behind me, at the end of the hall is the water closet. The first three rooms, to your left, belong to the other guys. Whenever you want a bath, you'll have to go up to the cabin area where we ladies sleep and use the bathing facility there." Rikku explained as if she were a tour guide, indicating each aspect of the tour with a graceful gesture of the hand.

"I'm sorry you have to stay in this depressing place while we get to stay in the more luxurious cabin." Yuna remorsefully said.

"It's fine. This place suits me. I'm happy as long as I have a bed to lie down on and a place to put my weapon." The mercenary shrugged as if it wasn't of any real importance.

"Good, just pick a room and we'll help you move whatever there is to make space for you." Rikku offered.

Squall, without sparing a glance at the others rooms, walked straight to the very last door on the right, wanting to be as far away from the others as possible. Pushing a button on the metal frame caused the door to slide open to reveal his new sleeping quarters. The room was fairly dark, but the moonlight seeping thru the circular porthole provided enough light to see that everything was covered in dust. There was some furniture inside, mostly mattresses and desks, nothing too difficult to move. He left the room and started walking away without waiting for the girls. "It's getting late. I need to return to Bevelle to retrieve my things from an inn. I'll come back in the morning. Is that alright?" He stopped from his retreat to look expectantly at Yuna, knowing that she was the unofficial leader of the Gullwings.

Once again Yuna lost her words under his gaze. All she could manage to do was to nod her assent. With that he proceeded to leave the airship. When out of sight, Yuna let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding and put a hand on her chest feeling her heart pounding in her chest. _'Why does he have this effect on me?'_

"Yunie, are you okay? You look kind of pale." Rikku showed concern on her face.

"…Yes, I'm fine. He was right when he said it's getting late. We better get some sleep, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day." And right she was. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of a new chapter in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04**

As the rays of light began to penetrate the darken sky, it signed the start of a new day for the crew of the Celsius. In these early morning hours, the crew was still soundly asleep except for one of them. During the night, Yuna tossed and turned on her bed unable to completely fall asleep. The many thoughts running thru her head and the anxious feeling she had didn't let her sleep. When a faint light began to invade the cabin, she gave up any further attempts at sleep and sat up while throwing her legs off the bed. _'Damn it! I can't stop thinking about how things are going to be different with Squall around.'_ Looking out the window above her bed, she saw that the sun was about to rise over the horizon. As quietly as she could, she started to take off her white tank-top and her naval blue pajama bottoms to wear nothing except for her pink underwear before searching her dresser for her usual gunner's outfit. Those days Yuna doesn't wear any bras because it bothers her the way they constrain her ample bosom. After getting dressed she checked the other two beds and saw that her friends were still asleep. Descending the stairs she reached the bar area. It also functioned as an entertainment center with a small stage in the corner and a kitchen. She looked towards the two doors on the opposite end from the bar. One was the bathroom and the other was Barkeep's room. Usually Barkeep would make all the meals for the crew but it was still too early for him to wake up. With nothing to do in the cabin, she went up to the bridge in hopes of finding someone there.

When Yuna got to the bridge there wasn't a soul to be found. Usually, Shinra would be the first one to wake up to get to work on his inventions. However, it was still too early even for him. _'What am I supposed to do now?…Guess I could start taking stuff out of Squall's room._' At that moment, by some strange twist of fate, there was a blinking red light at Shinra's workstation that caught her attention. The red light met there was someone trying to contact them thru the ship's intercom. _'There's somebody at the cargo bay entrance.'_ She tentatively pushed a button. "Hello?"

"It's me, I have come as per instructions and I'm ready to board." Came a deep gruff response.

Yuna blinked a few times not really sure how to respond to that. "Squall, is that you?"

"No, this is Rikku and I locked myself outside. Of course its Squall, who else can it be?"

Yuna angrily scowled as she released the button and slammed a fist down on the machinery. "Why that sarcastic obnoxious bastard. How dare he speak to me like that?" She didn't appreciate being made a fool by this guy, especially this early in the morning. Whenever this occurred with anyone else, she would quietly accept her humiliation or laugh it off in good humor. But with him, it lit a fire of fury inside her. She pressed the button with more force than necessary and spoke with more vigor. "Alright Squaalll Leonhart! It's kind of early, don't you think? Everyone is still sleeping at this time of day."

"…Oh….okay…I'll just…come back later then." The mercenary stuttered while scratching the back of his head, now he felt like a fool.

The high summoner let out a heavy sigh to calm herself. "No wait. I'll go down and let you in soon. Consider yourself lucky that I was up at this time." She didn't like the way the day was starting out. She took her time and slowly made her way to the cargo bay. The longer she took, the longer she could avoid dealing with Squall. Upon reaching the hatch that opens to the outside world, she prepared herself for the unavoidable encounter. _'It's strange. Ever since I met Squall, I've been acting in the most outlandish ways.'_ She pressed a button on a panel and watched as the hatch began to open and smoothly descend to the ground outside. Suddenly, she was hit with a case of _déjà vu_, recalling the time she jumped out this very same hatch and ran into the arms of Tidus after two lonely years without him. _'…Strange. For a second, it actually felt like I was there again.'_

Yuna's mind went blank the instant Squall came into sight. She just stared at him, studying his appearance. Nothing was really different as he stood there with his arms crossed and the same emotionless face. Except, for the way his long bangs hung freely along his face. If he had been standing in front of her, she would have reached up to brash it aside. Now she looked upon him with rosy cheeks.

"Took you long enough." The mercenary's irritation was evident in his dry tone.

His statement snapped Yuna out of her trance. It was then she caught sight of what was on the ground next to him, a duffle bag and a large rectangular case. The case appeared custom made. It was a black leather case with metal trims and had a lion's cross insignia on one of its sides, the same as his pendent. "Sorry about that. Let me help you carry one of those." She said as walked down the hatch.

'_This should be interesting.'_ Squall thought to himself when he noticed her reaching for the case.

The ex summoner grasped the handle of the case with one hand. She pulled on it but it didn't budge. Seeing that it will take more effort to lift, she grabbed the handle with both her hands. With a loud grunt she managed to lift the case a few inches off the ground. "Wwhhat…in...the…world….doyou…have..in..here?" She asked thru gritted teeth.

"Just my weapon and some tools." Squall was taking great amusement in watching Yuna struggle with his case, though he didn't show it on his face.

"It's…heavyyy!" Taking a step proved to be a fatal error as she lost her balance. Yuna immediately dropped the case as she stumbled forward, waving her arms wildly in all directions attempting to regain her footing. But all her efforts were in vain as she soon began to fall face first towards the ground. She closed her eyes not wanting to see the incoming crash. All of sudden, Squall instantly appeared before the high summoner, catching her in the middle of her plummet. The instant she felt something embracing her, she threw her arms around his waist as they collided. For a moment Yuna didn't know what had happened, but once she did, her eyes shot open astounded to be wrapped in his arms. _'Oh my!'_ She found that his muscular arms were very firm yet at the same time they were gentle. Even his well-toned abdomen, which her face rested upon, was surprisingly comfy. She found herself enveloped in a warm feeling of security.

Once Squall was sure the ex summoner could stand on her own he wordlessly let go of her. After a couple of seconds he began to wonder why she still hadn't let him go from her embrace. "Yuna, you do know that you won't fall if you release me right?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yuna finally realized what she was absent mindlessly doing and hastily removed her arms from his waist completely embarrassed. _'Why do I keep humiliating myself in front of him?'_ She mentally kicked herself. But a small part of her was already missing the warmth of his embrace. "Umm…thank you for catching me. Please follow me." It's all she could think to say before hurriedly turning and walking up the hatch in hopes that he didn't notice the redness of her cheeks.

Before following the high summoner, Squall gave her an odd look. _'This is the person that managed to save the world twice?!'_ Without a second thought he picked up the case with his left hand and threw the duffle bag over his shoulder with other and then proceeded to follow her inside.

By the time they made it to the men's quarters of the engine room, Yuna had managed to recover from her earlier embarrassment. Stopping in front of Squall's new room, she gathered all her determination and focused on not humiliating herself again before facing Squall and meeting his gaze dead on. "The others won't be up for a while longer, so I'm afraid I'll be the only one helping you clear out the room."

"Whatever." The stoic mercenary wasn't expecting any help to begin with.

As Squall set his things down, Yuna watched him as he easily laid the black case on the floor. _'How did he ever manage to carry such a heavy thing all the way from Bevelle?' _Lifting it took all of her strength. Taking one step with it almost caused her to fall flat on her face. There was a slight blush as she remembered the reason why she didn't fall. What happened next didn't help her blush, Squall took off his jacket and placed it on the case to reveal his form fitting t-shirt. She admired the sight of his muscular arms, broad shoulders, and brawny chest. _'Whoa! This guy has such an incredible body. I wonder what it would feel like to…?!'_ She quickly shook her head and focused her attention back to the large case. "What kind of weapon do you have in there? I thought it was a sword, but the damage it did to the Haizhe couldn't have been done by just any ordinary sword." She asked trying her hardest to get her mind off such naughty thoughts.

Squall gave her a slight nod. "Yes, your right. But forget about that, I don't want to talk about it now. I just want to get this room cleaned up." Without another word, he nonchalantly walked by her and entered his room.

'_Oh…too bad.'_ Yuna couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. She was still interested in learning more about him. However, the mercenary was right, there was work to be done. It didn't take them long to move the room's contents to the other storage rooms. "Now all we have to do is dust the place before bringing anything in here." Yuna cheerfully said once the room was empty. She was glad to see that she was finally getting used to being in his presence. Not even the sight of the tight shirt hugging his torso, wasn't affecting her as much as before.

"I'll take care of that. Just leave the room and close the door." Squall said while opening the porthole.

The ex summoner was about to object but something gave her the impression that he wouldn't take no for an answer. With no other choice, she reluctantly left and pressed the button to close the sliding door. Out in the hallway, she stared at the door wondering why she was suddenly banished. _'He could have at least thanked me for the help I've given him. Anyway, how is he going to get rid of all that dust without a broom?'_ Seeking an answer, she pressed her ear against the metal door. The rooms were mostly sound proof, but if she listened close enough, she could pick up faint sounds. Though in this instant, she didn't have to strain her hearing as the door started to rattle in its frame and gush of wind escaped thru the corners. Yuna backed away slightly frightened. _'What is going on in there?'_ It took about a minute for the door to stop shaking. As soon as it did, she quickly opened the door and rushed inside. She was confused to find Squall unharmed and then became even more confused when she found the room spotless.

Squall noticed her puzzled look and already knew what was coming. "Before you ask, I cast Aero (low level wind spell) to blow the dust out thru the porthole." He said while bushing off dust from his clothes.

"How much black magic do you know?" Her curiosity was peaked. There weren't many practitioners of black magic these days.

"Enough." He monotonously said while leaving the room.

'_He isn't taking me seriously.'_ Yuna grumbled in exasperation. Her hopes for a clear answer were shot down.

-o-

Seeing that her help was no longer needed, Yuna decided to head back up to the cabin and left Squall as he was bringing in some furniture to finish setting up his room. The first thing to catch her attention in the cabin was the smell of Barkeep's cooking. The others girls were already at the bar having their morning meal of scrambled chocobo eggs. While Calli was still aboard the Celsius, no one dared to ask for such a meal out of concern for her feelings. Since her passion for chocobos was almost as strong as Clasko, she eventually joined him in the Calm Lands to raise chocobos, which then allowed the Gullwings to enjoy a larger menu including fried chocobo wings. After the morning greetings, Yuna sat down to eat her meal, satisfying the hunger that had built up while aiding Squall with his room.

Rikku curiously looked at Yuna wondering where she had been. "Yunie, where were you this morning? I saw you waking up while it was still dark outside."

Yuna paused just as she was about fork some eggs into her mouth. "...Well, last night I had trouble sleeping so I got up a little earlier. But it's a good thing I did, Squall showed up shortly afterwards. I've been helping him settle into his room." She really didn't want to go into details.

"WHAT!? He's here! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Rikku exclaimed as she dropped the fork and jumped to her feet. "I'm going to go help him out."

Yuna quickly reached out and grabbed Rikku's hand. "No wait! He doesn't need any more help. By now he is probably already finished setting up his room and I don't think he wants to be bothered right now."

"I'd listen to her Rikku. He probably wants to get settled in before he interacts with any of us. You would only get on his nerves." Warned Paine. _'That's how I felt when I first got here. I don't know how, but I can tell that he feels the same way I did before.'_

"O Poo! Alright, I'll stay." Rikku was greatly disappointed as she sat back down on the stool. She really wanted to go see Squall. _'I guess I'll get some alone time with him later.'_ Could it be that she had developed a small crush on him or was it simply her flirtatious nature? "Anyway, why did someone like him suddenly decide to become a sphere hunter?"

"That's a good question. You would think that a supposedly powerful mercenary could make a good living. Brother must have offered him something substantial in order to convince Squall to join us." Said Paine while causally playing with the remains of her meal.

Just then, Brother entered the cabin rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He lazily walked up to the bar counter and sat down as Barkeep placed his meal in front of him. "Good morning everyone." Was all he said before he began eating. It didn't take him long to sense three sets of eyes bearing into him.

"Well look who finally decided to grace us with his presence." Said the loving little sister.

"What do you want?" He relied harshly to his sister while glaring at her. Rikku shifted her gaze to Yuna and gave her an expectant look. Yuna was confused, not knowing what was expected of her until Rikku nodded her head towards Brother.

"We're sorry to interrupt you during your meal but can you please tell us how you convinced Squall to join us?" Yuna sweetly asked. She knew that she could manipulate him into doing anything. She rarely ever used that power to her advantage, it never felt right to toy with someone's feelings. However on this occasion, she had no problem with it since the mercenary was involved.

Brother's face lit up the second he heard Yuna's voice. "Yes of course, anything for you. Well, there really isn't much to say. After I had the brilliant idea of inviting him to join the Gullwings, I went out to search for him. I found him along the way to Bevelle…"

-o-

Brother's Proposal to the Mercenary:

Brother aimlessly wandered around thru the many trails of the Macalania Woods searching for the man he met early that day in the Celsius. After a while of searching, he finally spotted a figure in the distance on a trail that led to Bevelle. Brother was overjoyed and started to run towards the retreating figure. He called out as he closed in on the man. "HEY WAIT. I have something important to talk to you about."

The man glanced over his shoulder to see someone approaching him. _'Just great! One of those idiots again. Maybe if I pretend he isn't there, he'll go away.'_ So the man continued on his hike, ignoring all the noise coming from behind. A few moments later Brother ran pass and stopped right in front of him. _'Damn it.'_

"Please…this…will only…take a…few minutes of your time." Brother was panting heavily because of the run.

The man glared at him before crossing his arms. "Make it quick!"

Brother took a few moments to think of a proper way to present his proposal, making sure not to take long enough to test the man's patience. "I am here to offer you the once in a life time opportunity to join the legendary group of sphere hunters that have saved Spira called the Gullwings. You have heard of us haven't you?"

"…" The man remained silent looking unimpressed.

Brother took that as a yes. "…Well…Oh…If you join you'll get good food and your own room. You'll also get to travel around the world for free, and get an equal share in all the profits." He watched as the man breathed out heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, appearing to be frustrated. _'Maybe I should tell him that he'll be in the company of three beautiful ladies, especially the goddess Lady Yuna. He is a man, right? And for good measure I'll offer him Rikku as well.'_ Brother considered these options before speaking again. "There will also be…" he didn't get a chance to finish.

"Fine, I'll join your little group." The man said as he cut Brother off. Seeing that nothing more needed to be said, he turned around and started to hike back to the airship.

Brother just stood there trying to figure out what just happened. _'E lyh'd pameaja ed fyc dryd ayco.'_ (I can't believe it was that easy) When he noticed the man walking away, he realized he forgot something. "Hey, what should I call you?"

"Just call me Squall." He answered without turning.

-o-

"You mean to tell me that's all it took for Squall to join the Gullwings. I thought it would have taken a lot more to get someone like him to join." Paine was finding this difficult to accept. _'He must have a hidden agenda like I did.'_

Brother nodded in agreement. "So did I. I was even about to offer Rikku to him but he didn't give me the opportunity to mention it." After those words left his mouth everyone in the cabin fell silent. Yuna covered her mouth with a hand as she silently gasped. Her face turning red because of the images those words brought to mind. Paine kept her laughter under control, as she earnestly waited for Rikku's reaction.

Rikku could only manage to produce slight choking sounds as her mouth hung open with a seriously flushed face, having lost the ability to speak. She knew that Brother and her weren't the best example of an ideal brother and sister, but for him to try and offer his own sister to another man was just a little too much. She wasn't some object that could be used to bargain with. However, another part of her was flattered about being an offering to someone as handsome as Squall. That was most likely the only reason why she didn't attack her brother that very moment. "…EEEXCUSE MEE! You tried to offer your own sister to another man?" She growled thru gritted teeth.

"Pop has been doing the same thing for years now. He's still trying to find a man stupid enough to marry you. And the sooner a man takes you away, the sooner I can get rid of the pain in the ass that you are." He coldly shot back.

"DIE!" Rikku yelled as she jumped off her stool and then nailed Brother across the jaw with a vicious right hook. The blow sent him flying, landing several feet away from the bar unconscious. Rikku, still not finished, began to mercilessly kick him repeatedly. This scene was all too common in the Celsius. With nothing more to discuss Yuna and Paine turned back to finish their meal even as the sounds of the beating filled the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05**

The crew of the Celsius spent the next few days cruising around searching for any signs of a sphere. Those days were generally uneventful. Most of the crew went about their day in their normal routines. Even with the addition of a new face, there wasn't a significant change in the daily atmosphere of the airship. Squall, not surprisingly, mainly kept to himself and never spoke with anyone. The majority of his time was spent in his room. He had gotten into the habit of training with his gunblade in the engine room. It was spacious, within reach of his room, and a soul barely ever passes by. The only instance in which anybody sees him is when he is eating at the bar or as he walks by in the corridors.

Yuna was the only one that really made any attempt to get to know Squall. Everyone else was wise enough to listen to Shinra and Paine's warnings and let him get settled in first. Yuna, being the hard headed and strong spirited woman she is, only did things her way. She felt it was her responsibility to become well acquainted with her new teammate and possibly develop a friendship with him, that way they'll all work better together as a team. At least that is what she told herself, not willing to admit the real reason which was to satisfy her lingering curiosity of him. Every time she crossed paths with him, she would say hello and attempt a conversation. However, he always brushed her aside, which really pissed her off. Of course voicing her anger was not a smart way to start a friendship. Therefore she never said anything about it.

The day was slow and there wasn't much to do. As a result, the girls sat on their beds chatting about whatever was on their minds. Yuna saw this as a good occasion to discuss the issue of Squall and his taciturn manner. She was hoping for some advice on what she could do to get him to open up. "You have to help me you guys. I've tried every nice way I can think of to get Squall to talk to me. He always finds some cheap excuse to avoid it or just ignores me and walks away as if I'm not even there. Barkeep is the only one he ever says anything to and that's when he is just asking for his meal. Honestly, this is driving me up the wall. If he ignores me just one more time,…I…I'd…OH I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'D DO!" Yuna slammed her fists onto her mattress from her abundant frustration over the situation.

"Calm down Yunie, you're overreacting. You shouldn't let him get to you like this. I can't remember the last time I've seen you this aggressive." Rikku carefully pleaded. _'This is sooo not like Yunie at all. She has never acted like this before. For a second I thought I actually saw a fire in her eyes.'_

"I don't see what the big deal is. So what if he doesn't talk to us? I say just leave him alone and let him come out of his own shell." Paine coolly said, seemingly unaffected by Yuna's outburst.

"BU…but you guys. In order for him to become an effective member of the team, he has to open up and talk to us. You know, become one of the group in a sense." Yuna almost yelled with desperation.

"I guess you could be right? But I don't know what to tell you Yunie. I still think you should let him be. Remember Paine was kind of the same way when she first joined us." Disputed Rikku, trying to bring some sense of mind to Yuna.

'_That is true but Yuna didn't react this way towards me at the beginning. Normally she is composed and patient in matters such as this. What is it about this guy that is causing her to act out like this? Maybe she simply has the hots for him.'_ Paine quietly laughed.

"I know, but…there still has to be a way…" Yuna wouldn't drop the topic until she heard some useful advice, almost seeming desperate.

Seeing no point in continuing this discussion, Paine decided to give in and offer her a suggestion. "Alright, I've heard enough of this. If you really want Squall to talk, I suggest you find what his interests are and talk about that. The hard part will be finding out what they are." _'Or you can force him to see things your way, just like you always have before.'_

"Y-You're right! It's so simple. I can't believe I haven't thought of that." Yuna was thrilled to have finally found a potential solution to her dilemma. She got up from her bed and ran to Paine. "Thank You!" She said as she wrapped Paine in a quick embrace and then sprinted down the stairs in search of Squall.

"Yunie Wait! You can't possibly go right now." Rikku called to her, however she was already too far gone to listen.

"Just forget about it. You should know by now there is no stopping her once she sets her mind to something." Paine was lying down and pulling the sheet over her as she spoke. Apparently the whole ordeal with Yuna had made her sleepy.

"Aren't you worried? I have a feeling if Squall does or says the wrong thing, she'll bite his head off. She's starting to scare me." Rikku nervously said.

"Don't pay it any mind. He is a big boy, he can take care of himself." Paine then closed her eyes and let her dreams take over.

-o-

Like the girls, the day had been rather slow for Squall as well. With nothing better to do, he had decided to train some time ago. Since coming aboard the airship, he's had no choice but to cut down his training regimen. A common training session would involve swinging his heavy gunblade around for a few hours, the usage of powerful magic, and the destruction of the surrounding area. Not wanting to be responsible for any collateral damage, Squall performed simple physical exercises to maintain his strength. Today he held his gunblade in a fully extended arm. He would repeatedly raise it above his head then quickly swings it down to the floor. He did this a few hundred times with each arm. Sometimes his downward slashes would produce a force strong enough to create a ring of dust on the floor. This was one of his favorite stress relieving activities. It allowed him to work off any excessive aggression as well as think things thru and clear his head. In other words, he did not like being interrupted during his exercise.

Squall was in the middle of his exercise when Yuna stepped off the elevator. She looked at the floor as she gradually made her way thru the corridor, deep in thought of what she should say to him. As she approached the door that hides the engine room on the other side, she began to hear faint noises. When the door slid opens, the roar from the engine was heard along with the sound of labored grunts. She looks over the railing from the top of the stairs to find Squall with his back facing her and not wearing his jacket. The moment she saw him, her heart rate increased and it became increasingly harder for her to breathe. She was having second thoughts about her purpose for coming here, suddenly afraid to face him. Fortunately, Squall hasn't noticed her yet so that left time to calm her nerves. Yuna couldn't help closely observing him while doing his work out. Watching him had a soothing effect; her fear was replaced with a small smile. She had to wonder what went thru his head as he swung his weapon.

_'…464…465…Gullwings? Who's the moron that came up with that name?…468…'_ Was what ran thru his head as he continued to count.

Squall had worked up a sweat that caused his white shirt to cling to his body like a second skin. Now she could see the well-tuned muscles of his back. Yuna's eyes didn't put up much of a fight against the forces of gravity as they drifted farther down towards his rear. _'…Oh My. That just might be the tightest ass I've ever seen. I sure would like to grab…WHAT am I thinking!?'_ She vigorously shook her head as it began to burn red hot. She took deep breaths trying to calm down. The noise of her panting caught his attention. Squall rested the dull end of the blade on his shoulder as he turned around. His eyes narrowed into a glare when he spotted Yuna. Not sparing her another glance, he began moving in her direction. Now that he was facing her and coming closer into view, she saw how powerfully built his physique truly is. This had a sort of hypnotic effect on her that prevented her from doing anything other than to stare at him. She was lost in another world, having forgotten about herself until he began descending the stairs beneath her feet. Snapping out of her trance, she dashed down the steps in pursuit.

"Squall. Please. Hold on a minute." Yuna grabbed one of his arms to bring him to a halt. They were standing in the corridor of the men's quarters.

Squall turned to the source of his mild irritation. "What do you want?" He asked with no real emotion.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. Please, don't stop your training just because of me." She gently stroked his arm with her hand as she apologized (Did she even realize what she was doing?).

"I had already finished anyway. Now excuse me, I have things that need to be taken care of." He said while pulling his arm free from her grasp.

Yuna clenched her hands into tight fists at her sides, as she felt her anger beginning to rise again. _'There he goes again! Trying to brush me off as if I'm nothing.'_ She could actually feel her eyebrow twitching. With a Herculean effort, she managed to hold back her rage, keeping her voice composed. "There is something I would like to talk about with you"

"Whatever. Follow me and say what you want to say. And hurry it up." He spoke as he walked the short distance to his room. Not waiting for Yuna, he opened the door and went inside.

Thankful to have gotten his attention, however little it was, she did as instructed and followed his lead. As she came into view of the entrance, she went over several ideas of what to say. _'I can't think of anything. What can possibly be one of his interests? I should have asked Paine for some suggestions. He is one tough nut to crack. Wait…that's it!' _She was struck with inspiration whilst watching him carefully place his weapon back into the large black case on his bed. "You never really told me much about your unusual weapon. I'm still rather curious and would like to learn more about it. I hear it's called a gunblade, is that right?"

Squall shut his case with a small smirk. He began heading for the door while responding. "I suddenly have an overwhelming urge to take a shit. Please, excuse me while I go use the facilities." And then she snapped.

Yuna literally saw flashes of lightning before her very eyes. As he was about to step out the door, she stood in his way and with great force shoved him across the chest. This abrupt attack caught him by surprise, which resulted in him stumbling backwards until he regained his footing halfway into the room. While Squall was repelling backwards, Yuna went inside and closed the door behind her.

_'What the fuck was that about?'_ He was about to angrily question her harsh treatment until he saw the look on her face. She glared at him with the fierce intensity of a thousand suns. His well-trained eyes could actually make out a red aura of rage emitting from her entire body. He did not like where this situation was headed and he did not know what had caused it. Like the skilled warrior that he is, he knew he had to determine the severity of the situation to help figure out his next move. He learned a long time ago that the strength of a person's soul could be seen thru the eyes. As Squall gazed into her dual colored eyes of emerald and sapphire, he saw a raging storm of anger, pain, and loneliness. _'She is just about ready to kill. There is no doubt she is strong. Damn, what a time to be without a weapon. At least I can tell that whatever I did is not the cause of the majority of her pain. I should still be careful and keep my guard up…her eyes are majestic though.'_ What followed were tense moments of silence as they stared at one another. He knew they weren't getting anywhere with this continued silence and with Yuna practically foaming at the mouth. "What is your problem?"

"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY PROBLEM IS? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MY PROBLEM IS. MY PROBLEM IS THAT YOU ARE A SELFISH BASTARD THAT THINKS SINCE HE'S SO HIGH AND MIGHTY, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH US LOWLY COMMONNERS." Her entire body shook from the intensity of her shouting. She took one step towards Squall and in turn his eyes widened then took a step back (Hell knows no fury like a woman scorned). He wasn't scared, just cautious. "Ever since I met you, you have been very rude and treated me with contempt. I haven't done anything to you to deserve this. And every time I try to be nice and get to know you, you ignore me or come up with some bullshit excuse." She wasn't yelling as loudly but her voice still held the same intensity.

"I…ah…." He tried to speak, however Yuna did not allow it.

"Don't you know the importance of becoming acquainted with the people you work with? In order for us to properly function as a team you must open up and tell me something about yourself. Not two or three words, I mean whole entire sentences. Do you understand?"

'_She isn't making any sense. I've worked with countless others without even knowing their names. Women are irrational creatures.'_ (It's a good thing he didn't voice these thoughts or else Yuna would have really blown a gasket). Having already determined the severity of the situation, he decided the best way to handle this would be to comply with the rule of thumb for men: When in an argument with a woman, always agree with whatever she says. _'Nevertheless, I will only bend to her will as far as my pride will allow.'_ "Yeah…ah…you're right." Squall tried to sound as submissive as possible.

Now that it appeared as if he was finally seeing her point, Yuna relaxed a bit but still kept a serious tone when she spoke. "Good, I'm glad you're beginning to see things my way. Now tell me something about yourself or else I'm not going anywhere until you do."

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

'_Finally, this is what I've been waiting for. What should I ask him? I'm not really that interested in his gunblade. Why did you join the Gullwings? No, he'll just give me a stupid answer. I need something that can actually tell me about who he is…'_ As if some twist of fate, the sunlight that came in thru the porthole found its way to the case on the bed. There was something on its surface that caused the rays of light to reflect off of it. Yuna was forced to shut her eyes from the sudden invasion of light. She moved to find the source and that is where she found her inspiration. "I just noticed this case has an emblem of a lion's head, the same as the pendant of your necklace. What does it represent?"

Squall let out a small sigh as he traced the outline of the metallic emblem with a finger. _'I guess it's alright to tell her.'_ He pushed the case farther into the bed to leave enough space to sit. He sat down at one end of the bed, his sight downcast towards the floor as he rested his arms on his knees. "Please, take a seat. This might take a while." He said without looking at her. Yuna didn't budge at first, she only watched him. It made her feel sad seeing how he now seemed depressed. Knowing she should do as he asked, she sat down at the other end of the bed. She shifted around so she could lay one leg on the bed in order for her to face him. She placed her hands between her thighs as she waited for him. When he felt the bed moving he knew she was ready. He took in a deep breath before beginning his story. "As you may already know, a lion is the embodiment of strength, courage, and pride. A lion is a wild beast that nature created to be strong and proud. They never bow down to anyone and without hesitation will fight for what is theirs. They recognize their own power and know, because of it, there is no need for them to feel fear. A lion has the strength and courage to live alone and only rely on itself. As well as the strength and courage to share its life with others, protect them and rely on them. I cherish all these qualities. Every day I live, I try my best to emulate these qualities and make them a part of who I am." Because his gaze only shifted between the floor and his hands, he failed to notice the smile that now graced her lips.

"As a child everybody would always compare me to a lion. I never understood why. I can only assume that my personality and the way I behaved is what led them to make that comparison. The fact that my last name is Leonhart may have also played a part. I always hated when they made that comparison. I thought it was incredibly stupid; I was a human not an animal. But then death took away my entire family and I was left completely alone with no one to turn to." When Yuna heard this, tears came to her eyes as she thought of the pain he must have suffered. In a way, she was also reminded how she lost her parents as a child.

Squall's voice held no emotion as he went on with his tale. "For the longest time I knew only loneliness and misery. What else can you expect from a seven-year-old kid that lost his family? Every day I spent without them I grew weaker. There was nothing left for me, no reason to go on living. I thought I was going to die until one fateful day. With no one to pay for our house, I was forced out into the streets. Luckily, I decided to look thru the house to see if there was anything I would want to keep. That is when I found this…" He reached up for the pendent with his right hand. It rested flat on his palm as he watched the light reflect off the polished surface. "I found this necklace inside a package with my name on it. I think my father intended this to be a gift. As I stared at it, I thought about everything that a lion represented. Lions are strong while I was weak. Lions fear nothing while I feared everything. It represented everything I wasn't, everything that I needed to be. From that moment on, I embraced the ideal of being similar to the beast instead of denying it. I found the strength to live on and ever since then I have been taking care of myself. Whenever I feel weak, I grab on to this pendant to remind myself of what I have to be, Strong." He released the pendant from his firm grip and let it fall against his torso.

He hoped this little voyage into his past would be enough to satisfy her. Squall turned his head to look upon Yuna. He was beginning to wonder why she hasn't said anything yet. Yuna's head was downcast and he couldn't see her face because her bangs were hanging in the way. _'This is strange. Why is she so quiet all of a sudden?'_ He didn't know what was wrong until he heard her faint sniffle. Then he saw a few droplets fall onto her leg and the mattress. _'This is not good!'_ He moved a little closer to her. "Yuna, is something wrong?"

She slowly lifted her head to gaze at Squall's puzzled features with tear soaked eyes. In his steel blue spheres she could make out small hints of concern. _'Why? Why is this affecting me so much? When I think of everything he said I just…just…'_ And that was when the floodgates broke. She threw herself onto Squall and wrapped her arms around his neck while burying her face in his chest. Unable to resist any longer, she succumbed to full-scale sobbing. His shirt that was once soaked with sweat, now becomes drenched in her tears. He was very perplexed. The last time he looked at her, she was about ready to kill him. Now she was bawling her eyes out. "I…I'm sorry…I know this is stupid…It's just that…your story was so…so touching…yet so tragic." She said between her whimpers.

This may come as a shock to some, that Squall knows very well how to handle a woman in tears. He has a great deal of experience because of all the work he has done as a mercenary. There have been countless jobs in which a woman would throw herself into his arms to cry and sometimes even a man. That tends to happen after saving their life. Though, it was a tad strange that this instance wasn't the result of a life or death situation. He tenderly placed his arms around Yuna. Laying a hand behind her head and another on her back, and then he began a gentle rocking motion to help her relax. "It's okay. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere." He said in a soothing voice. For the next couple of minutes, the only sounds in the room were that of her cries and sniffles. When the last of her tears finally ceased, Yuna pulled away from their embrace. "Are you feeling better now?"

Yuna sluggish nodded while she wiped her damp checks and blood shot eyes. She was a little embarrassed now. "…Yes, thank you. I don't know what came over me." She timidly uttered. Avoiding any eye contact, she stared at the mattress with her hands clasped together between her legs.

"Good. Well, I believe I answered your question. Am I free to go? I wasn't completely lying when I said I needed to use the facilities. I need a shower because of my early work out."

Yuna suddenly started laughing at his facetious appeal. _'Is he trying to be funny? He said that so seriously.'_ She looked at him with a sparkle in her eye and a grateful smile. "Yes, of course you can. I have no reason to hold you captive any longer." She laughed again at her own words.

Squall gave her a quick nod and swiftly got off the bed to grab a change of clothes. "Stay as long as you need to." He said as he left out the door.

Yuna was very appreciative for being allowed to remain there. She didn't want to leave just yet. There weren't many places in the Celsius where she could be by herself. She wanted some time alone to reflect on her confrontation with Squall. The whole encounter took one unexpected turn after another. Not once in her life has she ever been pushed over the edge of sanity as far as she had today. No one has ever made her lose her temper like Squall did. She never anticipated hearing such a heart-rending tale of his past and her reaction to it. She was a little annoyed by that. _'Why did I have to cry like that? He must think I'm a real crybaby now. To top it off, I still don't know how I managed to take his life's purpose like he said so last week. At least I did learn a lot about the kind of man he is. He really is strong like a lion.'_

Then Yuna remembered what happened after she started crying. She hugged herself while recalling the feeling. _'Who knew that underneath that cold hard exterior there was such compassion and tenderness? But it took an extreme situation to bring out that side of him. I know there is a lot more about Squall to discover. I just have to find ways to lure them out of him.'_ She could still feel the warmth of his arms around her body. In a flash, she was suddenly brought back to the time in the lake with Tidus. After her faith was shattered by the maesters of Yevon, Tidus had pulled her into a loving embrace. Both occasions made her feel just as loved and nurtured. The difference was that with Tidus, his embrace was because of his genuine feelings for her. Squall's purpose was probably just to shut her up (Yuna is not dense, she knows better). The other difference was there wasn't a kiss afterward with Squall. Yuna found it strange to remember that moment with Tidus out of the blue. Could it be she was finally starting to recover the same love for him she once held? What else could it be? This was the second time she had recalled a significant memory of Tidus in Squall's presence. She was getting more confused the more she thought about it. The only thing she was sure of was the fact that Squall would be more communicative with her from now on. Having had enough reflecting for one day, she got up and started heading for the door. Before she left, she gave the room a once over. _'This room needs a woman's tough.'_ The room seemed dead to her. The only contends were a dresser and a queen-sized bed with plain white sheets. With a resolve to help Squall add some life to his room, even against his will, she left to return to the cabin.

-o-

In the cabin everything was mostly quiet. As Yuna passed by the bathroom, she could hear the shower running. _'Squall is a very clean person. He uses the shower no less than twice a day. Now if only the other boys could follow his example.' _She shrugged at the thought with a smile as she continued on to the stairs.

At the sound of someone climbing the stairs, Paine decided she had rested enough and sat up while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "So. How did it go?" She asked as soon as Yuna stepped into view.

"W-what? How did what go?" Yuna pretended not to know.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Did you manage to talk to him?" Paine spoke deadly seriously.

"Yeah Yunie. How did it go with Squally? When he got here earlier I said hello to him from up here but all he did was grunt his acknowledgement before going into the bathroom. He looked the same as always." Added Rikku.

'_He might actually say a word if you didn't call him Squally.'_ Paine shook her head at the thought.

Yuna sighed in defect. She didn't want to talk about this. "Alright. Yes, I did speak with him. We had a little heart to heart."

"In other words you forced him and didn't leave him much of a choice." Paine interjected.

Yuna blushed and nodded yes. "…What else could I do? At any rate I believe it will be easier for me to talk to him from this point on. You know, he'll be more responsive to whatever I say. And I did learn something about him."

"Really! I haven't seen him have a full conversation with anybody since the first day we met him. I sure would like to see just how much you've progressed with Squally." Said Rikku

"You want to see how long he'll be willing to chat with me?" Yuna was having a bad feeling about this.

"Yeah. I think it'll be cool to see what happens. You should try it as soon as he comes out of the bathroom. He should be out soon." Just as Rikku finished her sentence, the bathroom door opened and Squall stepped out wearing a clean white t-shirt and black leather pants. Having nothing else to do in the cabin, he went straight towards the exit. "Do it now Yunie. Hurry, before he gets away." Rikku hastily pushed her cousin to the railing overlooking the bar downstairs.

"Ahhh….Hey Squall…" Yuna called to him. She wasn't sure what exactly she was going to say.

Squall stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Yuna calling his name. _'Shit. What does she want now?'_ He then reluctantly turned around to look up towards her. "Yes?"

She said the first thing that came to her mind. "…Y-you look handsome in that outfit…NO!…What I mean to say is…you have good taste in clothes. I like your fashion sense….I think leather suits you well…" She stammered as she fought for the right words. She was thankful that he wasn't close enough to see the red on her checks.

Squall looked at her with a raised eyebrow, he was slightly perturbed by her remarks. _'…OOOkayy. She isn't making any sense again. I better find a way out of this quickly. I don't want to see where this could lead to.'_ Another special trait of his is he is a brilliant strategist and tactician. As a true combatant, he approaches any situation like he would with any battle, with focus and determination. He carefully studied Yuna's appearance as he began to formulate a way out. _'I believe Rikku is up there as well. In order for this to work she has to be._' The only way someone upstairs can be seen is if they were standing directly over the railing. It wouldn't make much sense otherwise in terms of privacy. "Oh. I see what you're trying to say. You like my clothes because it covers the body more than what you have on. If you put it that way, I can understand why you would want to borrow my clothes." He crossed his arms over his chest while nodding in an agreeing manner.

Yuna suddenly found it harder to breathe and she didn't know what to think. "Borrow your clothes? I'm sorry, what exactly are you saying?"

"Well, don't you want to borrow some of my clothes because of your revealing attire? Don't worry about it, I understand. With those short-shorts that show off a generous portion of your legs and that top you call a shirt sure doesn't leave much to the imagination. That whole attire, like you were trying to say, is something a streetwalker would wear." He gave her an innocent look as he said this.

'…_Did he just say I look like a hooker?!…' _As Yuna slowly digested the full meaning of his words, a severe scowl began to form on her face and the veins on the sides of her forehead became visible as they rapidly pulsated. Her grip on the metal railing tightened almost enough to leave an imprint. _'THAT SON OF A BITCH! How dare he say that to me?' _She was about to shout at him until she heard loud laughter coming from somewhere behind her.

Rikku wasn't able to contain her laughter. The hilarity of it all was too much for her to handle. She was laughing so hard, she feared she would fall to the floor any second.

Yuna evilly glared at Rikku, not appreciating being laughed at. Normally, Yuna would smile and silently accept her shame, however since Squall was the trigger of her rage, she was not about to let it slide. "Well if I look like a hooker, I can only imagine what you resemble!" She said rather harshly.

'_Bingo__!'_ A small smile now graced his lips

"Ah…" Rikku's laughter stopped abruptly. _'Oh no she didn't…'_ She stared at Yuna fatally, feeling a twitch in one of her eyes. "I'm sorry Yunie, I didn't quite hear what you just said."

Yuna turned to face Rikku. "You heard me. Your outfit is a hell of a lot more revealing than my. In fact, who do you think is the main influence for what I normally wear now? You're basically only wearing a bra and a thong with a mini skirt that leaves half your ass hanging out. I am sorry to say this Rikku, but you simply look like a slut."

Now it was Rikku who saw fire before her eyes. Her fists tightened at her sides and her face became a menacing frown. "SLUT?! You of all people, is calling me a slut? Tell me again how long exactly you waited until you spread your legs wide open for Tidus after getting him back." She asked thru gritted teeth.

Yuna gasped in horror. "You bitch! You know we were madly in love and I saw no reason to wait." She couldn't believe Rikku would actually say something like that to her.

"So is that the bullshit story you're sticking with?" Asked Rikku with spite.

"Well that's nothing compared to the way you constantly throw yourself all over Gippal every time you see him. You're just a common bimbo around him. And the sad part is you're too dense to notice he turns you down every single time." Yuna knew that would put her cousin in her place.

"…TRAMP!" Rikku couldn't think of anything better to say.

"SKANK!" Yuna shot back.

"WHORE!"

"HARLOT!…"

Seeing that he had long since been forgotten, Squall walked out of the cabin with a proud smirk. _'Mission accomplished.'_

Paine stood at the top of the stairs with an approving smile, watching the retreating figure of Squall. _'That clever bastard.'_ When he was out of sight she turned her attention back to her friends that were still screaming at each other.

"…that is why you show them off like that." Yuna continued to insult Rikku.

"That's not fair. Just because your boobs are twice as big, doesn't mean you…" Rikku protest was interrupted.

"Come on you two. There is no need for this yelling anymore. You can stop now." Paine was able to see thru Squall's plan from the very beginning. She didn't say anything until now because she believed Squall had a right to manipulate his way out of a situation he didn't want to be a part of. Of course Paine also really wanted to see if it would actually work.

"MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS." Both Yuna and Rikku yelled in unison.

"You two don't get it, do you? Squall baited the both of you into a trap. I guess he didn't want to speak with anyone, so he found a way to make you quarrel with each other. If you failed to notice, he left a while ago. I must say though, I was fairly impressed." Said Paine to finally clue in the two of them on Squall's manipulation.

"That can't be true." Yuna hastily looked over the railing to find that he was nowhere in sight. She groaned miserably as she leaned down and rested her arms and head on the railing. "He's gone."

"What? That jerk! We must be nothing more to him than puppets in his strings. I'm starting to see how he gets on your nerves Yunie. How can a handsome guy like him do that? What the hell kind of person did Brother recruit? I'll have to…" Rikku continues to complain about what had happened, however, no one was listening. Paine went downstairs to grab a snack while Yuna was lost in her own thoughts.

'_He did it to me again. I lost control of my anger once more and in the same day too. Why is Squall the only person to ever affect me like this? Rikku was right, he stringed me along like a puppet and tricked me into an argument with her. Which reminds me, I better apology to her later. She knows I didn't mean any of the things I said like I know she didn't mean anything either. The only positive outcome that I see is the fact that Squall spoke more than usual. That is an improvement right?'_ Yuna placed her chin on top of her arms to gaze at the spot he once stood. She replayed the entire scene from start to finish and actually started giggling. Now that she thought about it, for some unexplainable reason, she found it quite humorous. _'I don't know why but I'm pretty happy right now. I honestly can't wait to see what else the future will bring with Squall around.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 06**

Since the day of confrontation and manipulation, another week has passed. The Gullwings, much to their frustration, were still unable to find any traces of a sphere. They're world renowned as the saviors of Spira, but that doesn't necessarily make them financially wealthy. It takes money to run any operation and these days the Gullwings were running low on funds. Riding around in the Celsius is not cheap.

Despite the lack of funds, life for the crew went on normally. Well, for everyone else other than Yuna and Squall. Since the confrontation, Squall was seen more often around the airship. He had also become a little more responsive and sociable with everyone especially Yuna, then again, she was the only one to go out of her way to really converse with him. Paine was most likely correct when she said he just needed time to open up, but Yuna's outburst was a major factor in speeding up the process.

Yuna was very pleased to see this change in Squall's behavior. She was also happy about the fact that he was becoming somewhat of a friend to her. He, on the other hand, probably still considered her a mild annoyance. Unfortunately, just because he was talking to her more often didn't stop him from occasionally coming up with sly tactics to escape her or from making smart-ass remarks that made her look stupid. For that reason, Yuna had unwittingly picked up a habit of hitting Squall on his arm or chest whenever he upsets her as a way to channel her anger. He warned her doing that would only hurt her while he could care less. To him, her strikes felt like a gust of wind. Yuna, not being one to listen, would sometimes punch him too hard and would end up bruising her hand. Regardless of how often he made her anger, at the end of their encounters Yuna would always be laughing or simply have a smile.

The day had started just as any other, the only difference being that today the Celsius was docked at the island of Kilika. Brother, Buddy, and Rikku had gone out to shop in order to restock some of their food supply, leaving everyone else to do as they pleased. The day was beautifully clear with a light breeze, perfect for outdoor activities. Taking advantage of this, Squall decided to do some training up on the deck instead of the engine room. The training only consisted of the straightforward exercise of swinging his gunblade. He still kept it simple to prevent damaging his new home. This is the first time since he was a child he had felt at home anywhere. The reason being he had finally found what he had been missing for most of his life. Squall had just begun his exercise when he heard the deck door opening. He slowly turned around to see who was intruding on him this time. He was slightly taken aback when he saw whom it was.

"Hello. I hope I'm not intruding. It's such a beautiful day I just had to come out and see it. I thought I'd practice with my sword as well." Paine said this as she came on the deck with her sword in hand and admiring the view of the ocean and the town. "Every time we stop somewhere, I always come up here to practice."

"I'm sorry I didn't know that. If that's the case, I'll get out of your way." He rested the gunblade on his shoulder and turned to leave.

"Hang on. Why don't you stay and spar with me? I can't remember the last time I had a good fight and I'm also interested in seeing if you're any good with a sword." Paine gave him a sly smile. She knew he wasn't the kind of guy to turn down a challenge like that.

Squall didn't move an inch as he went over the idea of sparring with Paine. It was too good to turn down. He had also been itching for a good fight and it would give him an opportunity to answer some questions. He ran a finger along the scar on his face before answering. "Many have wondered the same thing before leaving this world. But I suppose you won't take my word for it when I say I'm almost godlike with the blade and that I've taken the art of swordsmanship to unheard of levels."

"I wouldn't and I'd say you're rather full of yourself." She thought what he said was a bit of an embellishment. Or was it?

"I am not conceited. I'm just stating a fact. I thought it proper to warn you what kind of opponent you'll be facing. Otherwise, I'd be more than happy and honored to spar with you." He turned to face her and held out his gunblade with one hand. "However, I can't use this weapon in a simple practice match."

Paine was glad to see Squall accept her challenge. "That is not a problem. Here, take this." She handed him her own sword. "Wait here and warm up while I go retrieve another one." She left, quick in her steps, eager to get the sparring started.

Once the deck door closed behind her, Squall carefully placed his gunblade on the floor. He firmly held Paine's sword in both hands and took a few test swings. _'This type of sword is normally used by men. It's much too heavy for the average woman. Paine must be quite the strong girl. I wonder if she'll actually be a challenge to me. She almost certainly will be because of who she really is.'_

-o-

Having just finished drying her freshly cleared laundry, Yuna had just replaced the sheets to her bed and was now folding clothes then putting them into her dresser. She was almost done when she heard the sound of loud footsteps. She walked over to stairs to look for the source. Down below, she spotted Paine grabbing a sword and then running towards the exit door. "Paine. What are you doing in such a rush?" Yuna asked before she left the room.

"Sorry Yuna. I can't explain right now. I'm in a hurry." Paine answered while still heading for the door.

"Hurry for what?" Yuna asked again in a shout. The distance between them was growing, making it harder to hear the other.

"I'm meeting up with Squall." Paine shouted back and then disappeared into the corridor leading to the elevator.

'_Meeting with Squall!?'_ Yuna didn't like the sound of that. Paine and Squall alone, no way! She didn't even ask herself why that bothered her. Not wasting another second, she raced down the stairs and thru the door in an effort to catch up with Paine. The elevator was already rising by the time she got to it. Luckily she managed to leap on to it before it was out of reach.

"What in the world are you doing?!" Paine was caught completely by surprise from Yuna's sudden appearance.

Yuna was lightly panting as she straightened out her gunner's outfit. Lucky for her the running distance wasn't very long. "I ah….I had nothing better to do so I decided to join you." She lied. "So. What precisely are you doing?" She asked Paine with an innocent smile.

Paine gave her a suspicious look before answering. "I'm just going to have a sparring match with Squall."

"REALLY? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Yuna exclaimed. _'This could actually be fun.'_ This not only gave her a chance to see him in action but to learn more about him. In this case, his effectiveness in battle. Up to now, she had only seen him kill only one fiend the day she met him. All the other fiends that day were already dead by the time she got there. She had also witnessed him using a minor spell of black magic. So that left her with many unanswered questions of Squall's true abilities.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. We decided to do this a few minutes ago. I just want to see how strong Squall is." Paine replied.

"Me too. I really want to find out how helpful he'll be when I go…I mean when we go out on a hunt with him." If Paine noticed Yuna's slip of the tongue she didn't say anything. "Do you think you'll be able to beat him?"

"I don't know. I think I can, but my gut is telling me that will never happen." Those were Paine's last words before reaching the deck level and getting off the elevator with Yuna.

Squall was waiting for Paine as he gazed at the tranquil motion of the ocean. At the hissing sound of the deck door opening, he threw the sword onto his shoulder and turned to greet his new adversary until he saw that she was not alone. _'What the hell does she want now? I wanted to be alone with Paine.'_ The thought ran thru his head as he glared at Yuna, who was standing next to Paine, as she smiled broadly. She was obviously excited about the upcoming match. Normally she disapproved of violence, but sometimes even she can take pleasure in the thrill of giving someone a good ass whipping. "What are you doing here? Don't you have something else to do that's far away from here?"

"For your information, no I don't. When Paine told me about your little match, I thought it would be worth taking five minutes out of my day to watch her kick your ass." The smile never left her face. She was starting to enjoy these little exchanges with him.

He responded with a grunt and a smirk. "Oh really? I think you're underestimating me a bit. Fine, stay and see just how long it'll take Paine to "kick my ass" as you say. Just stand back and keep your mouth shut, I don't want to hear any shit from you." He then used the sword in his right arm to point to a spot next to the door. "And don't even think about laying a finger on my gunblade."

"Alright. I think I can manage that, but there's no need for the harsh language." Yuna took a step back and grasped her hands together behind her back.

"Enough chitchat. Let's get this started already. Squall, just pretend that she isn't even there." Paine had not come here to stand there quietly and listen to other people's bickering. She was there to spar and was getting tired of waiting.

"That shouldn't be too difficult." He then walks away towards the center of the deck, followed by Paine.

While their backs were turned, Yuna glanced at the gunblade thru the corner of her eye. _'What is so special about that thing anyway? It's not like it will break if I touch it. He is also giving me more attitude than usual and treating me like a child. It's like he doesn't want me here. Well that's just too bad, I'm not going anywhere. I'll show him, he never said I couldn't be near it.' _Yuna, as defiant as always, began to cautiously side step little by little until she was only inches from the gunblade. Still keeping her hands behind her, she lightly smiled again as she began a light swaying motion with her upper body. She was enjoying her small victory of sneaking her way to Squall's weapon without catching his attention. The fact he was now ignoring her may have played a part. _'Wait a second, Paine asked him to ignore me. That means he probably is.' _ To test her theory, she tapped on the gunblade a few times with the tip of her boot. When there was no reaction from him, she realized he wasn't paying any attention to her at all. She frowned and felt a slight twitch in her eye but decided to forget about it and just watch the two of them spar.

Once they were close to the center of the deck, Squall stopped to let Paine walk a bit farther to create more distance between them. When she felt she was far enough, she turned to face her adversary. She studied him for a moment; it was obvious to her this was not going to be an easy match. She could feel all her nerves lit with the fire of anticipation and excitement before any battle. With a deep breath, she brought her sword in front with both hands and went into a fighting stance. "I hope you're not intending on holding back just because I'm a girl."

"The thought never even occurred to me." Squall on the other hand, was calm and relaxed. In fact maybe a little too relaxed. With the sword firmly in his hands, he raised it as he brought his right foot a few inches in front of the other assuming his own fighting stance. "Come at me whenever you wish." With this declaration, the match had officially begun. Now one of them had to make the first move. The first strike can determine the whole fight.

For the longest moments the two of them only stared at each other without moving an inch. Everything else around them seemed to disappear leaving only the two of them. Yuna could almost see the tense air that surrounded the both of them. She looked at them with unblinking eyes, afraid if she lost sight of them for even a spilt second she would miss the first attack. Despite the anticipation of the oncoming action, she couldn't help but notice something strange about Paine. _'This isn't like her at all. She never hesitates to attack her foe. I guess she must consider him to be quite formidable. I see no other reason for her to waver like this. Squall is even making her act out of character. Just who is he?'_

Just as Yuna had concluded, Paine was having difficulty on deciding on a course of action. _'Damn. He wants me to attack first. If I do that, I could leave myself open to his attack if I'm not careful. Just by looking at him I can tell that would be a very bad move. He is relaxed and poised in his stance, leaving no __area __unguarded__.__ His face shows no real emotion as always, yet his eyes are focused and devoid of precariousness.'_ As she looked into his eyes, a sudden feeling of nostalgia washed over her, as if those eyes were somehow familiar. Not knowing where that came from, she brushed it away with a renewed attentiveness to the battle at hand as she tighten her grip on the handle. _'There is no point in hesitating any longer. Thankfully this isn't a real battle. I can attack without the fear of losing my life. Well, here goes nothing.'_ With that final thought she finally went on the offensive.

In the blink of an eye, Paine was off in a charge with her sword raised over her head as she shouted her battle cry. It only took her a second to reach Squall, in that instant he noted she was much quicker than what he had expected. However, her speed was still nothing he couldn't handle. As soon as he was within range of her blade, she swung it down with the force of a sledgehammer. At the last possible moment, Squall brought up his own sword to meet the other in loud collision of metal against metal. The impact was of such intensity, the noise it created was deafening to the ears and blinding to the eyes from the radiant sparks. For a split second, Paine was stunned still from what she just witnessed. It wasn't the loud noise or the light show that left her stunned, it was the fact that his sword didn't budge at all, not even a millimeter. It was as if she had hit a reinforced steel wall. Her only thought in that moment was of the kind of strength it would take to do something like that, especially with the power she put into her swing.

Not wasting another second in thought, Paine leaps back and then follows up with a sideways slash from her right. Squall moved his weapon to his side and easily blocked her second attack. Not letting this thwart her latest assault, she then took advantage of his exposed legs since his sword was pointing skyward. Without pulling back her weapon, she drove it down the length of his blade, leaving a trail of sparks in its path. When her blade left his, there was nothing to stop it from reaching its target until Squall swiftly shifted the position of his sword with a rapid turn of the wrists downward to guard his legs. At that point another swordsman of lesser skill would have pulled away and attacked from a different angle. Now with only the tip of her blade being hindered, Paine reversed her grip on the handle then attempted to ram the bottom half of the razor sharp edge into his torso. It was a very clever tactic but one that can be stopped if the opponent was quick enough to react. Since Squall was her opponent, there wasn't much doubt of that happening. He managed another successful block by simply moving his sword a little to his right. Still not finished with her assault, she adjusted her footing and pressed the dull end of her sword to her right hip. She used herself as leverage for the sword as she pulled back on it in another attempt to strike his legs again. This time it was Squall who drove his sword along the length of her blade. He lost his balance because of the extra force of that attack. Using the extra leverage, Paine spun herself doing a full rotation while he regained his footing. Halfway thru the spin, she readjusted her grip and raised the weapon above her shoulder and brought it down to strike as soon as she was facing him again, aiming for his shoulder. However he managed to jump back in time to avoid the strike.

This pattern of fighting went on for some time with no change. Paine always on the offensive while Squall was always on the defensive. She repeatedly hacked away at him from every possible angle without even landing a single successful blow. Since Paine was mainly the aggressor, she was gradually driving him back with each swing of her sword. Was there some hidden purpose that would cause Squall not to fight back? _'She certainly is stronger than what I expected. And her skills with the sword are topnotch. If I were anyone else, she would have defected me by now.'_ This thought caused him to smirk proudly. His whole intention was only to determine her caliber as a warrior, which apparently was rather high.

Their sparring had only just begun, but Yuna was already astonished at display of swordplay before her; Paine with her skillful attacks and Squall with his even more skillful defensive. Never before had Yuna ever seen such a battle. She couldn't even imagine how intense the battle would become once he decided to retaliate. Even with the amazing show before her, she noticed that because Paine was slowly pushing Squall back with every swing, they were gradually making their way closer to her. She started to get nervous and for good reason. Being in their close proximity could prove to be life threatening. Yuna began to back away until she was pressed up against the deck entrance. With no more space to maneuver, she just stood back and hoped the two of them wouldn't get any closer.

Squall was too busy, putting all his concentration into blocking Paine's strikes, to notice anything else. Thanks to his sharp instincts, he was able to sense a presence from behind him. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw that they were becoming dangerously close to Yuna. That was when he decided that he had learned enough of Paine and it was time to go on the offensive. When Paine came at him with a straight thrust towards his abdomen, he leaps towards his left as it grazed his jacket. Then he followed thru with a sideways slash from the right, aiming for her neck.

With her inherit quickness, Paine went down on one knee to duck under the path of his blade. She countered with a horizontal swing that ran parallel to the floor. Since her attack was low to the ground, Squall jumped over her blade as it sailed by underneath him. While still in the air he raised his sword over his head than brought it down in a vertical slash. To evade this, she rolled back along the floor. Paine then leaped to her feet and resumed her fighting stance. At the same time Squall's sword came crashing down the moment his feet touched the ground leaving a deep cut on the metal surface (Buddy was sure going to be upset about that). Yuna sighed in relief now that the fight has moved away from her. After lifting his sword, he charged at Paine with his weapon trailing behind him, keeping it low to his right prepping for another attack from the side. She met his incoming attack head on as her blade collided with his in a deafening resonance.

What followed was an intense battle as the pair came up in a stunning choreography of strikes, parries, and counters. Each fighter seemingly putting everything they had into defeating the other. One was not able to conquer the other because they appeared to be equally match. However the captive audience, who only consisted of the former summoner, was able to discern what was really happening. _'This fight is incredible! I__ really__can__'t __tell__ who will win. I believe Paine probably will. I can tell she is using everything she's got to win while Squall doesn't seem to be really trying at all…'_ Yuna took a closer look at him to see how he was fairing and found what she saw to be troubling. _'He isn't winded at all! He is still breathing normally while Paine is gasping for air. This must mean Squall is only using enough effort to hold off Paine. That jerk! Loins have been known to play with their prey before finishing them off. That is so like him.' _She crossed her arms and glared at him disapprovingly.

Yuna was not the only one that had noticed Squall's lack of effort. For a while Paine had a suspicion that he was just toying with her. It started at the very beginning when all he did was block her strikes. And there were a few times she would lose her balance or swing the sword too far, leaving herself wide open for his attack yet he never took the opportunity. Squall would only really attack her when it was certain she'd be able to block or dodge him. However she only cared about the challenge of the fight and it didn't matter whether he was or wasn't toying with her. For her, the stronger her opponent is the better.

Squall had just managed to make Paine lose her balance again and attempted to thrust his sword straight at her. She swiftly regained her footing and parried his attack with a simple swing of her blade. Then she followed thru with a vertical slash from above to his head. The path of her blade was intercepted by another merely inches from his face. Instead of pulling away, Paine pushed down harder upon his sword. Squall interpreted this move as a challenge of strength and he answered by pushing right back. They glared at one another with their swords crossed as they engaged in some sort of contest of who could push harder with their trembling swords slicing into each other. Neither of the two dared to consider yielding to the other in this bizarre test of strength.

"…I must say you're pretty good with a sword." Paine spoke with a strained voice because of the overwhelming exertion from repelling Squall.

"Thank you. But this is nothing compared to what I can do with my gunblade." His normally gruff voice wasn't strained like Paine's but there was a trace of stress in it.

"…I'd like to see that. For now I'd like to see you take this fight more seriously. I've noticed you've been holding back."

Squall had to smirk at that, the more he learned about her the more he was impressed by her. "I don't often get the opportunity to cross swords with someone of such high skill as you. I was only trying to enjoy the experience for as long as possible." The remark caused Paine to smirk in a way that perfectly mirrored his own.

'_I knew that jerk was just toying with her.'_ Up to now, Yuna paid close attention to everything they did with great detail, especially now that their faces were in close proximity of each other. Their physical closeness made her uneasy. As she looked on there was something else that mystified her. For an instant, she thought the two of them were one in the same person.

"…I am honored that you think of me that way. It's the same with me. I rarely find any real competition. So can you also honor me by giving me your best?" For added effect, Paine pressed down on her blade even harder.

Squall looked into her ruby eyes as if searching for something while he contemplated his response. "As you wish." Having decided to accommodate her wish, he channeled all his strength into one powerful push of his sword that launched Paine from where she stood.

Paine did not know what just happened. One second she was locked in arms with Squall and the next second she was airborne, gliding backwards along the floor. She did know that she had to stop herself somehow before she went over the edge of the deck. She tried planting her feet to the floor only to be dragged along the surface, her momentum was too great. In a final desperate attempt, Paine drove her sword into the metal hull of the airship. Although this action didn't stop her right away, it did significantly slow her down. She dragged her feet and held onto her weapon as it sliced thru the hull to finally come to a halt. She held breath as she examined the long gash she left on the deck. _'I'm really sorry for this Buddy but I didn't want to take a dip in the ocean right now. I'm sure Shinra will be able to fix this.'_ Paine then shifted her attention back to Squall. "That was very impressive. It looks like I'll have to be serious as well. You don't mind do you?"

"Whatever."

Paine pulled her weapon out from the hull and stood straight as she prepared herself to move this battle to a new level. She was about to harness the power of a dressphere. When she initiated the spherechange, her entire body was suddenly bathed in a brilliant white glow that somehow didn't stun the eye. Pyreflies even seemed to flow out of her. It was only a moment later that the glow started to morph into a crackling black aura. As soon as it appeared, it began to change shape and mold itself onto her body. In one last burst of black light, Paine was revealed in the heavy black armor of the Dark Knight dressphere. Her weapon also underwent a transformation. What was once a typical two-handed sword was now longer and heavier with razor sharp spikes aligning both sides of the blade.

There were no signs of any change to Squall's neutral expression, as he stood in his fighting stance ready and waiting to continue the battle.

Yuna, on the other hand, was alerted by this sudden turn of events. While in that form, Paine's strength and defense is greatly increased. Yuna did want to see Squall get his ass kicked, but as a Dark Knight would be taking it too far. "Paine, don't you think using that dressphere is a little overkill?"

"There's no need to worry. I know what I'm doing." The Dark Knight answered her with a confident smirk.

"I thought I told you to just stand there and keep your mouth shut, Yuna. If you can't understand those simple instructions, I'm afraid I'll have to seriously question your level of comprehension." Squall did not even look at her. He stayed focused on his opponent.

'_Now he's calling me stupid! At least I think he did? There's just no stopping that guy no matter what I do.'_ She wasn't angered by his insult, just annoyed. She was enjoying watching the sparring far too much to really be upset. But after hearing what he said, she decided to reevaluate her early statement. "Forget about what I said before Paine. Do everything you can to beat his sorry ass to a bloody pulp. I'm counting on you."

This time Yuna managed to earn herself a sideways glance from Squall. She caught his sight then to tease him she waved at him while using her most endearing smile. _'There's just no stopping that woman, is there? She never listens to anything I say and never hesitates to voice her disapproval of me. It's a real pain in the neck but I guess I have to respect her a little for that. Not everyone can put up my shit like she can.' _After finishing his musing, he switched his attention back to the battle at hand.

Without even realizing it, Yuna had managed the very difficult task of earning some respect from Squall. He held everyone at a distance, never letting anyone close enough to move beyond the boundary of a simple acquaintance. He was also a harsh judge of character. To earn any kind of positive outlook from him would take extraordinary means. Does this mean Yuna was no longer an acquaintance but a friend to him or something in between? And for some reason, he held Paine in a much higher regard than anyone else after only knowing her for a short time.

Given that Squall hadn't made a move since her spherechange, Paine figured he wanted her to initiate the attack again. This time there was no hesitation as she charged with her sword raised. Squall had no intention of going on the defensive like in the beginning and so he charged at her as well. When their blades clashed, there was another intense battle. Throughout most of the fight, they seemed equally matched. Occasionally, one would be dominating only until the other pulled a counter measure that quickly reversed the positions. To the untrained eye, it appeared that none had the advantage over the other.

Yuna was shocked to see that Squall was able to match Paine's newfound power as the Dark Knight. What shocked her even more was the fact that he wasn't struggling any harder against Paine since before her transformation. He was still breathing normally and deflecting her sword with the same ease. There was no real difference in the battle from before as it flowed at the same pace.

Squall was no longer taking pleasure in the battle as he was previously. Now that he had agreed to fight seriously, it meant his fun would be coming to an end very soon. _'It's a shame this can't last any longer. I agreed to give her my best and so that's exactly what she is going to get.'_ Since he considered himself a man of his word, he had no other choice.

Squall swung his sword straight down to Paine's chest. She swiftly raised her weapon and blocked his strike with only a second to spare. Instead of pulling away, he once again pushed into it and ejected Paine from where she stood. Thankful her feet never left the surface, because of the heavy weight of her armor, and dragged along until she came to a stop several yards away. Squall did not give chase but stood and waited for her next move, which played a part in his plan to win. After Paine recovered from her little trip, she saw there was quite a distance between Squall and her. And again it was up to her to close that distance.

Paine tightened her grip on her weapon and charged towards Squall. He waited until she was within a certain range before he turned around and started sprinting to the deck entrance. The Dark Knight found this move strange but continued to chase after him. She figured this must have been some sort of trap. If it was, she believed she could handle whatever it was.

Squall could sense his adversary following closely behind. He knew she would not stop pursuing him. Yuna quickly noticed they were headed her way and she shrieked as she jumped out of their way. She managed to recover just in time to see what happened next. _'Time to end this!'_ That was his last thought before he reached the deck entrance and started scaling it while still running. He skillfully used the high ground he had gained to launch himself to do a backflip. He sailed over Paine's head and landed smoothly behind her. Surprised for only a second, she hastily spun around with horizontal slash. Anticipating this move, Squall already had his sword raised above his head then brought it down with titanic force upon her blade. The force of which shattered her weapon into several pieces as if the sword had been made of glass. Neither Paine nor Yuna could've ever thought such a thing were possible.

Paine was cradling her numbed hands from the shock of the impact, until she felt the cold of steel against her neck. Squall was now pressing the tip of his blade underneath her jaw. "I believe this makes me the victor." He declared with a blank expression.

His single declaration brought the full meaning of what had just happened to the minds of Yuna and Paine. _'Did this really just happen?!'_ Yuna was astonished by what she witnessed. Squall had defeated her comrade at arms, one of the most powerful people she had ever known. She was sure Paine would be triumphant since she changed her dressphere. This only served to show Yuna that her personal quest in learning about Squall was a long ways off from completion. And to top that, now she felt like a fool again. Ever since she set foot on the deck, she blustered about the incoming thrashing Squall would suffer by the hands of Paine. She couldn't take back what she said or amend it in any way. She was just glad Rikku wasn't around, who wouldn't hesitant to ridicule her to no end.

Paine, on the other hand, was not so astonished and only stared at Squall with the same blank expression while feeling the cold blade against her neck. _'So he wasn't bullshitting when he said he was almost godlike with a blade. Why am I not surprised?'_ She knew on some level that her defeat would be the end result. Despite her loss she harbored no ill will. She only felt the effects of one of the most thrilling battles of her life. She put on a small grin before her body lit up in a brilliant white glow as she changed back to her normal attire of the Warrior dressphere. Even her sword reverted to the fragments of the original sword. Squall lowered his blade and backed away, thinking it was a good idea to give her space as she underwent the change. "Yes, you are the victor. But next time I won't be defeated as easily and trust me there will be a next time!"

"Just name the time and place." Squall replied as he handed her the sword. He then made his way to collect his gunblade.

Yuna was still close by the weapon. She was still having some difficulty coming to terms with what had happened. She couldn't think of anything to say as she nervously watched him retrieve his weapon.

As he passed her, he paused for a moment, never sparing her a glance. "I hope you learned a valuable lesson today. In any combat situation, you have to know your enemies in order to know how to fight them. If you're smart, you'll realize these kinds of lessons can be applied to everyday life. In your case, make sure you know everything each of us is capable of before making any hasty decisions. One last thing, don't think I didn't see you kicking my gunblade." He then went on his way.

Yuna was a little taken aback when she heard him speak. She was subsequently saddened as she thought about what he said to her. _'I know it's important to know someone. But how can I know you if you always refuse to tell me about yourself?'_ She was lost in her musing as she stared at her boots.

Paine had set down the remaining sword in order to retrieve it later. She wanted to converse with Squall and began heading towards him. On her way she became aware of the sudden change in Yuna. Paine didn't know why and thought it best to leave her alone. Ever since Yuna rejoined the Gullwings, she had often been depressed about her situation with Tidus. Everyone had tried to help her out with her problems, but in the end the only person that can help Yuna is herself.

Once Squall had the gunblade in his hands, Paine remembered what Shinra had said about it being a weapon created to fight Sin. "Hey, is it true you were once a Crusader?" She asked him while standing next him.

'_What!?_' Yuna was pulled out of her musing when the question reached her ears. She then listened closely to what was happening behind her.

Squall looked at Paine questionably with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you hear that?" He wasn't sure he was ready to answer questions about his past, especially to her.

"Apparently there's some history to your weapon. I heard it was created by a member of the Crusaders to fight Sin." Answered Paine.

Squall groaned as he ran a hand thru his hair. He found that there was no way he could ever lie to her. "…Yes, it's true. I used to be one and your right about the original purpose of my gunblade." He hoped that would be enough of an answer to satisfy her, at least the part of his past.

"It does look impressive but I don't see how it would have been effective against a monster like Sin. Tell me how it works." Paine crossed her arms and waited for him to explain.

Squall sighed in frustration; he didn't want to do this. He was just glad the line of questioning was no longer directed at his personal history. "Fine, but this might take a while."

After his answer Yuna spun around with unnatural quickness, not believing what her ears were hearing. _'WHAT WAS THAT!? I've asked him twice before about it and he didn't tell me shit.'_ Now she really was angry. She felt like screaming at him. Fortunately for Squall, her desire to learn more about him was stronger. So she pinned down her angry and remained silent. Although that didn't stop the dirty look she gave him.

Paine shrugged her shoulders in response to his comment. "Take as long as you like. I don't have anything better to do."

Squall nodded his understanding and then looked towards the outraged high summoner. He placed his left hand on his hip while the other hung loosely with the gunblade in its grip. "You can stand there glaring all day for all I care but if you want to hear this as well I suggest you come closer."

'_Asshole!' _Yuna clenched her fists and fought hard to keep her cool. She wanted to say something but only did as he recommended and moved to stand next to Paine.

Squall thought hard about the best way to explain how his gunblade functions. He decided to start from the very beginning. "When I first become a Crusader, I could never effectively battle against Sin with the weapons that were available at the time. A sword lacks the power and range of a gun, while a gun isn't as good as a sword in close quarters combat and reliability. So…'

"So that's when you decided to create your own weapon." Paine stated the obvious.

Being interrupted by her did not bother him in the least. "Correct. I needed to find a way to combine the features of a gun and sword into one weapon. Since the Al Bhed were working with the Crusaders, I took advantage of their technical expertise and worked with them. It took a lot of time, money, and effort. The biggest problem we encountered was figuring out a way to supply the energy of the gun feature." He rested the gunblade flat on both hands to give Yuna and Paine a good look at it. "You'll notice underneath the blade there's a trigger. Every time I pull it, it causes the blade to produce a powerful burst of energy that sort of mimics a small explosion."

'_So that's why the fiend appeared to blowup when he cut into.'_ Yuna recalled her first encounter with Squall when he killed the Deep Haizhe.

"It didn't take us long to develop a prototype. To supply the energy it required we developed shells that would be loaded into a revolving chamber like bullets to a gun. Each shell was only good enough for one blast. After six blasts I was left with a fancy looking sword. Reloading it in the middle of combat would have been too troublesome. As a result, I spent many more months traveling throughout Spira searching for the right materials and magical elements to solve that problem, many of which involved hunting very powerful fiends. With the right components we finally made the gunblade you see before you with an infinite supply of energy. I call it the Lionheart."

Without a word, Paine took the Lionheart from his hands and began to study it more closely. "Wow! It's a lot heavier than it looks. A normal person could never wield it properly because of its weight."

Yuna was stunned when no reaction came from Squall. _'He practically threatened me not to touch it. Paine just grabs it out of his hands without his permission and he doesn't say a word. Does this mean he likes her?'_ With this thought there was a slight pain in her heart.

"This is truly an amazing weapon. But I don't see how it solves the problem of long range attacks." Paine is handling the gunblade carefully, making sure not to pull the trigger. With her hand on the blade an accidental misfire would cause her to lose it.

"I have learned ways to get around that."

His vague answer was enough for her as she nodded her understanding. "I can imagine you would normally pull the trigger while slicing into something and at the same time creating a large mess. How can you not get yourself cover in blood and guts every time you use it?"

"I've learned how to get around that as well. It all depends on the angle of attack and your position." Squall simply responded.

Paine then looks at the man seriously. "I really like your gunblade. I'll trade you my Garment Grid along with all my dresspheres for it."

"No." He answered with a frown.

After seeing his reaction, Paine started to laugh. "Relax. I was only joking." She then handed him the gunblade. She already knew there was no way he would ever part with it.

Watching her laugh touched Squall in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. This caused him to give her one of his very rare smiles. Yuna could only stare at the face of this phenomenon. "…How beautiful!" Said in a whisper only she could hear. She did not think about what caused his smile and only concerned herself with admiring the marvel that it was to her. She even felt goose bumps run throughout her entire body.

"Anyway. Now that you're a part of the team, you'll get your own Garment Grid which will allow you to harness the power of dresspheres." By now Paine was back to her stoic self.

"If what you're referring to is what you used in our sparring, then I'm afraid I'll have to turn down that offer." He shakes his head no while speaking.

Paine was puzzled by what he said. "Are you sure? It's a very powerful tool for combat."

"Yes, I'm sure. I have heard rumors about the dresspheres. If my understanding of them is correct your attributes will change depending on which dressphere you're using. One area of your attributes will increase, yet simultaneously another area will decrease. You gain both the strengths and the weaknesses of it. I saw that first hand when you used it during our match. Your strength and defense were increased substantially however your speed was severely reduced. That is why I defeated you as fast as I did, you were too slow to react. If I used that device, it would only serve to weaken me."

Paine began to scratch the back of her head. "…When you put it like that, I have to wonder why I use it."

Yuna finally joined the conversation at this point. "What are you saying? If it weren't for the dresspheres, we never would have been able to take down Vegnagun."

"Yeah, I know but…" She didn't get the chance to finish.

Brother's voice caught everyone's attention as it suddenly bombed from the intercoms. "Gullwings, your fearless leader has returned and there's even more good news. While I was gone, the ship's sensors detected signs of a sphere. We don't have the exact location but we will soon enough. I'll let you know when there's something new."

A second later the deck door began to open. "Did you hear that Yunie. Soon we'll see some action again and no longer be bothered out of our minds. Isn't that great?" Exclaimed Rikku as she joined the others. When no one said a word, she began to suspect something was amiss. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

The other three looked at each other as if debating whether to tell Rikku. "No. Nothing happened." Squall was the first to answer. He then started to walk away to go back inside.

"Yeah. What he said." Paine said and left as well, followed by Yuna.

Rikku was bewildered by what just occurred. _'What was that all about?'_ She eventually noticed that she was left alone. "HEY. Wait for me you guys." She yelled while running after them.

Paine was in high spirits for the rest of the day, although she didn't show it. She believed that she had gained a true new friend and sparring partner. From the first day Paine had met Squall, she had felt a strange closeness to him. She wasn't sure about it until now, more specifically the moment he made her laugh. She couldn't imagine where their friendship would lead them. For now she'll just concentrate on working with him on the upcoming hunt.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07**

Only a day has passed since the Gullwings detected signs of a sphere. The problem was what they picked up was not enough to get a precise location of the sphere which is why the Celsius's main alert system never went off, the one that would fill the entire bridge with red lights and alarms. Buddy was hard at work operating the sensors to at least find the general area of where the sphere could be. Shinra would occasionally lend him some technical support. To further aid the search, Buddy had instructed Brother to take the airship to the air. It will only be a matter of time before he finds something.

Until that time came, the rest of the crew just had to sit back and wait. Of course waiting was not an easy thing to do for some of them. "This really sucks! I thought by now we would already be out somewhere killing fiends or taking down bad guys to get the sphere and whatever other treasures we find along the way." Rikku was trying her best to relax on her bed but was too energized and desperate to do something.

"Did you honestly think that? The world is a big place. It could take days to find the location of the sphere. Don't forget that it might also take a day or two just to get to it. This bird we're flying in isn't that fast." Paine was leaning back against the railing with her arms crossed.

Yuna was lost in her own thoughts as she sat in the middle of her bed with her legs crossed. She seemed dispirited, maybe even a little depressed. She had been in this state ever since the notion, of Squall possibly having feelings for Paine, came to her mind. Yesterday she noticed Paine wearing a small smile after the fight that lasted the rest of the day. It was simple to figure out the reason for that smile was Squall. This meant Paine could also share the same feelings as him. _'Why am I feeling this way? Why does the idea of those two being together bother me? It can't be jealousy. The only man I care about that way is Tidus. There can't be anyone else. Even if it were possible for there to be someone else, it certainly wouldn't be Squall. I've only known him for a short time and he doesn't seem to like me at all. He may even hate me.' _That last thought really brought her down. Is she in denial of the real truth? Did she forget how short a time she knew Tidus before falling in love with him?

'_It makes me sad to see her like this. She must be thinking about Tidus again.'_ Paine was worried as she saw Yuna in her sad state. She wished there were some way she could help her friend. "Yuna, is there something troubling you?

At the sound of her name, Yuna snapped out of her trance. "W-What!? Oh. No not at all. I'm just a little disappointed like Rikku about not being able to do anything. Just sitting here is no way to spend the day." She didn't like herself for covering the truth like that, but there were some things she couldn't discuss even with her closest friends.

"Yeah, you said it." Rikku wholeheartedly agreed with what her cousin said.

Paine was not convince and was going to object until the hissing sound of the sliding door caught her attention. She looked down below to see Squall walking in and having a sit on a barstool. She saw him gesturing with his hand to Barkeep. She couldn't hear what Squall was saying but it was easy to figure out when Barkeep brought him a bottle of liquor and a glass cup. _'That's not a bad idea. There's nothing I can do for Yuna anyway.'_

"Paine. Is someone down there?" Yuna was curious to know what she was looking at.

Paine then looked at her friend and nodded. "Squall just walked in."

'_Oh no! I can't handle seeing him right now.'_ She became very nervous. She wanted to hide, however there was no place to do so. Whenever matters of the heart were concerned, she always seems to revert back to her old shy self. "He's not coming up here, is he?"

"No. He's just sitting at the bar having a hard drink. In fact, I think I'll go join him and have one myself." With that said, Paine left to have a drink as well.

Once again the thought of Paine being alone with Squall didn't sit well with Yuna, especially now that it appeared as if they could become drinking buddies. She would have normally gone as well but seeing him right now would just confuse her more than she already was. She took comfort in the knowledge that they were only a climb down the stairs away.

"Well I'm glad somebody is finally making use of that stuff." Rikku said while making her way over to the railing. She was thankful to have something to distract her from her boredom, even if it was just watching the people below.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Yuna

"Up until now all those boozes just took up space and attracted dust. The only one who drinks any of it is Brother whenever he is trying to drown his sorrows of his unrequited love." With that said, not another word passed between the two. It was common knowledge amongst the Gullwings who the person was that caused Brother to drown his sorrows.

-o-

"Are you old enough to be drinking that stuff?" Paine took a sit next to Squall. Barkeep already knew what she wanted and placed a clean glass in front of her.

"I don't know how old someone has to be but I know I have the experience for it. I've been drinking liquor for over ten years." He raised his glass to her in a greeting gesture and then downed its liquid content in one swig. He grabbed the bottle and filled his glass and Paine's as well.

"You're saying you started drinking boozes when you were a child? Just how old are you?" This was hard for her to accept. She started the habit five years ago when she was 15 and she thought that was rather young. She could tell he was only a few years older.

"I'm 22. The Crusaders were a rowdy group back then. They didn't want a kid hanging around them unless he could drink like a real man. I wanted to join so I didn't care what they demanded of me."

"That's funny, I started dinking for the same reason." Paine was really glad she came down to join him. She hadn't enjoyed talking to a guy like this since the old days with Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal.

"You were once a Crusader too?" Squall was also enjoying her company. She was the only person he was interested in getting to know. He felt like he was regaining something he had lost long ago. She was the only one in the airship that he would call a friend. The others still had a ways to go before he would regard them as a friend.

"Yes, I was. This calls for a toast." She raised her glass to him. "To the old days in the Crusaders."

"Sure." He lightly clinked his glass with the other. "To the good times." They each downed their drink in one swig and then began to reminisce about their experiences in the military organization.

-o-

"Yunie. Have you ever wondered if Squall and Paine would make a good couple?" Rikku had been watching them for a while now. In that time she saw how the two acted around each other and how well they got along.

Yuna had managed to stop thinking about the possible romantic relationship between the two a while ago. When she heard Rikku's question, she almost fell off her bed as she gaped and turned to look at her. Yuna was afraid that Rikku had discovered the reason for her depression. "…N-No, not even once. Why are you asking such a thing all of a sudden?" She was a relieved Rikku had not seen her reaction because she was still overlooking the other two below.

"I've been watching them for a while now and I've noticed they seem very comfy with each other."

'_COMFY!?'_ Yuna did not like the possible implications of that word. She jumped off her bed and hastily made way to the railing. What she found was not what she was expecting. "What are you talking about? They're just sitting there."

"What I mean is they both seem comfortable in each other's company. Not just that, they have many similarities between them. Paine has the same exact hair color as Squall and same taste in fashion. You can call them Mr. and Mrs. Black Leather." Rikku even pointed at them as she stated each similarity.

Yuna was beginning to see what Rikku did. The more she thought about it, the more she saw. "They also have the same mannerisms and almost identical personalities. They could even be considered twins." This was not making her feel any better.

Rikku switched her gaze to Yuna, glad that she finally understood. "So you see Yunie. Don't you think two people with all that stuff in common would make a great couple?"

Yuna gave her a pain filled smile and a slight nod. "I suppose you're right." She answered in a frail voice. _'…Yes, you're right. Paine and Squall are perfect for each other, even more so than I originally thought. I should be happy if such a thing ever came to be, but…my heart still aches.'_ Her eyes then shimmered with unshed tears.

"Yunie, are you okay?" Rikku placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder in an attempt to console her. _'What happened to her? Is all this reminding her too much of Tidus?'_

-o-

Paine held up her glass and stared at it as if she were in a trance. It was in that glass where she caught the reflection of the other two girls upstairs. _'How long have those two been snooping?'_ She let out a small chuckle.

The sound of her slight laughter caught Squall's attention. "What's so funny?"

"It appears we have some onlookers." Paine glanced back towards him.

"I noticed them a while ago. What can they possibly find to be so interesting down here?" He then looks at their reflection in his own glass.

"That's an easy one to figure out, you of course. They're both curious about you and want to learn more about you. They're probably talking about you now. I, on the other hand, am only interested in learning someone's history if that someone is interested in telling it."

"I see. So they're that bored? Anyone would have to be in order to listen to my sad story." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the stupid idea.

"I believe you could be right. In these days, who doesn't have a sad story?"

Squall became quiet for a while as he swirled the liquid content of his glass. He was wondering whether to ask her or not. "Can you tell me yours?"

Paine now wore a tiny smile as she looked at her glass. "There really isn't much to it. When I was really young, maybe around five years old, I was found on the shores of Luca with no memory of my past. I didn't know what had happened or even if I had any parents or siblings. All I could remember was my first name. I lived with several different foster families until I was old enough to take care of myself and shortly after that I joined the Crusaders. That's all of it in a nutshell."

He nodded his understanding, feeling a bit sadden. "I'm very sorry you had to lose your family at such a young age."

Paine just shrugged as if it were nothing. "It's no big deal. I can tell you some real tragic stories from others…"

The airship's intercoms suddenly came to life. "I got good news Gullwings. A few minutes ago our sensors picked up another sphere signal. It wasn't enough to give us an exact location but it was enough to tell us its somewhere in the Bikanel Desert. That shouldn't present too much of a problem since some of us grew up there. We will be arriving there in a few minutes." Buddy's excitement could be heard in his voice.

"What happens now?" Now that it appeared that his leisurely time was over, Squall was back to his serious professional attitude.

Paine remained calm and relaxed as if there hadn't been an announcement. "Nothing for now. We wait until Buddy finds the location of the sphere. It could take hours or even days. We can't just go aimlessly wondering the desert without an idea of where to start."

Squall gulped down the last bit of his drink and stands to leave. "Thanks for the pleasure of your company."

"Same here. Where are you off to?" Paine was a little disappointed. She would have liked to at least have one more round of drinks with him.

"To the bridge. I'm not the type to sit around and do nothing when I know I can do something." With those finally words he was gone.

"Paine. Where is he going?" Rikku shouted from up above.

Paine slowly turned around on her stool as she thought of the proper response for her nosy friend. "To do something useful."

-o-

By the time Squall entered the bridge, the Celsius was already landing nearby the excavation camp that Nhadala supervised. Once there he wasted no time in letting his presence be known. "What's the current status on the location of the sphere?" He asked in a loud commanding voice. His question was not aimed at anyone in particular. He was there for a purpose and he was going to make sure it was done. Looking at the stern glare of his eyes would tell anyone that he would leave no room for question or doubt.

The other three that were present stopped what they were doing and nervously stared at the overwhelming presence of Squall. Buddy was at his terminal working the sensors with Brother observing from behind. Shinra was at his workstation trying to find a way to strengthen the ship's sensors to help better scan the area. But now with the abrupt uproar, none knew what to do or think. The whole bridge fell silent since no one dared to speak.

Squall's patience was now being tested. His glare grew fiercer as the silence continued. "Do I have to repeat myself? I believe I was fairly clear the first time." His voice grew more menacing with every passing word.

The bridge crew was finally scared back to their senses. Buddy realized it was his job to answer the question. "Yes, siii uhhh…" He suddenly had an urge to use the word 'sir'. "…you were loud and clear. I can tell you the situation."

Squall, who was standing in the middle of the room, focused his frightening gaze on Buddy. "Then report!" He commanded as if with absolute authority. The bridge crew was feeling like the normally tranquil atmosphere of the bridge was rapidly changing to that of a military vessel with Squall as the supreme commander.

Buddy turned back to his monitor. "So far we have nothing new to report except for the peculiar patterns in which we've received the signals of the sphere. According to the data, the location of it seems to have changed since receiving the first signal. It must have been moved somehow."

"Right." Squall then shifted his attention to another crewmember. "SHINRA!"

Shinra jumped in his sit with fright. "Yes Sir?!" The poor child was scared out of his wits, a fairly normal reaction when dealing with Squall.

"You're the tech expert here, give me a quick rundown on how the sensors operate."

"…The simplest way I can explain is that they work by scanning the surface area of a landmass. Things like mountains and deep terrains can hinder the effectiveness of the scan. A sphere inside some kind of structure or deep underwater will be very difficult to detect." Shinra hoped Squall was able to understand. He feared what would happen if the man didn't.

"So a sphere is easiest to detect when it's free and clear of any obstacles. An example would be if the sphere was in the sky."

Shinra was relieved to see that he understood. "Yes, you are correct."

Squall gave the boy a curt nod before looking towards the last bridge member. "Brother, when you get the chance, report to Yuna (the real leader of the Gullwings) that I have gone on a reconnaissance mission."

Brother, a man of reasonably formidable size, couldn't help being intimidated when Squall's glare landed on him. "…Yes. I will do as you say."

Now that his business was finished there, Squall turned on his heel and marched out of the bridge to get his weapon and then to begin his mission.

When he was gone the crew was left staring at the door that closed behind him. "Well that sure was something." Buddy said while scratching his head.

"Oayr. Dryd fyc luum!" (Yeah. That was cool!) Brother was left very impressed by the way Squall took charge. "I wish I could do that." The others gave him an odd look before returning to what they were doing before the whole scene started.

-o-

A few hours have passed and there still hadn't been any updates of the location of the sphere. The girls were growing impatient. With nothing better to do, they decided to head up to the bridge and see for themselves how the search was processing. As soon as they set feet in the room, Brother wasted no time in coming to greet one of them in particular.

"Yuna! You get more and more lovely every time I see you. So what can I do for you today?" He was initially going to hug her but stopped when he caught the evil eye of his younger sister.

Yuna smiled warmly at him for the kind greeting. "Thank you Brother. That was very nice of you. We just wanted to see how the search was coming along. Has there been anything new?"

"No, I'm afraid not. The sphere doesn't show up on our sensors. The times that it did only lasted a few moments." His answer seemed to discourage her. "But don't worry. I believe we will find it very soon." He tried to cheer her up.

"Is there something we can do to help?" Paine was searching for options to help distract Yuna from her troubles.

Brother shook his head no. "I can't think of anything for you three to do."

Yuna tried to perk up a little. "It's alright. I'll just come back later to check up on you guys."

Buddy had been listening to the conversation. _'Our fearless dummy forgot again.'_ He then turned away from his monitor to face the others at the center of the bridge. "Captain, I believe there may be something you're forgetting."

"What? What is it?" Yuna had a bad feeling.

"Oh yeah! I was supposed to tell you that Squall left a while ago." Brother laughed stupidly at his own forgetfulness.

Yuna's bad feeling got worst. "Squall left!? Where? Did he go alone?"

"I think he went to search for the sphere on his own." Buddy answered for his captain.

"What!? Brother, why didn't you tell me sooner?" She was now becoming upset.

"I didn't think it was that important." Brother slowly backed away from her.

"Of course it's important you idiot. Now he's out there stealing all the fun for himself." Rikku was also equally upset.

Yuna quickly faced her shorter cousin. "Who cares about that? His life could be in danger. We have to go look for him before it's too late." She was becoming overly worried for his safety.

"Try contacting him thru the commlink, I gave him one a few days ago." Suggested Buddy.

"Your right!" Yuna then spoke into her commlink. "Squall…Are you there Squall?…Please answer me Squall…Squall?…" She didn't get a response. "He isn't answering. What does this mean?" She now feared the worst had happened.

"He must have turned it off. If he's not responding, you can still go find him. The commlink is not only a communication device, it also functions as a tracking device. I'll tell you exactly where he is in just a second." Shinra pushed a few buttons on his console and then his screen displayed the tracking system. "He is somewhere in the northwest of this desert. I believe that is where the old ruins are located."

"Thank you Shinra. I have to go save him."

"Yuna, I think you're making too much of this. I don't think he is…" Paine tried to calm her down but couldn't say another word because Yuna was already speeding towards the door.

"Come on you guys, we have to hurry."

-o-

The three girls hastily made their way to the excavation camp. They were able to spot Nhadala shortly after arriving. As usual she had her hands full keeping all the random diggers in line. She always had a knack for convincing almost anyone into risking his or her life on a dig. Yuna didn't want to bother her when she was so busy, but had to since it was an emergency situation. Yuna slowly walked up to her from behind. "Nhadala. I'm sorry for bothering you right now but I really need your help."

Since Nhadala was busy shouting at all the diggers, she missed what Yuna had said. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" When she turned around and saw whom it was, she become very excited to see the return of the best digger she had ever met. "Lady Yuna! I can't believe you're here. How long has it been? Are you here to do some more digging?"

Yuna shook her head no. "No, I'm sorry I'm not. I really need your help. A friend of mine could be in serious trouble right now." She was still just as worried as when she left the airship.

Nhadala began to see the severity of the situation when she saw how desperate Yuna appeared. "Okay. I'll help you in any way I can. What can I do?"

"Have you seen a man wearing mostly black leather and has a scar on his face?"

"Oh. You're talking about that devilishly handsome man. Yes, I spoke with him." She couldn't fight the dreamy smile that came to her face.

'_Not another one!'_ Yuna didn't like seeing the reaction other women had towards him. "Where did he go?"

"Well…" Nhadala scratched her chin while thinking of her earlier encounter with Squall. "…it was kind of strange. He came up to me asking about where he could find large birds. I told him about the Zu (largest bird type fiend in Spira) nesting ground at the old ruins. I tried offering him a ride on a hover but he said he'd rather walk. I also tried warning him how the intense heat of the desert can kill him but he just ignored me and said he can handle it."

Paine found what she heard to be comical and silently chuckled. _'That is Squall all right. But it's a shame he decided to go get himself killed so soon after becoming my friend.'_ She didn't share her thought with anyone because it would only farther upset Yuna. Even though Paine thought nothing had happened to him, it was still a good idea to check up on him.

"Are the ruins somewhere in the northwest?" Rikku asked. She, on the other hand, was just upset because Squall had left ahead of them.

"Yes they are. I can lend you a hover to get there." Nhadala then pointed to a hover at the other end of the camp.

"Thank you. We have to get there as soon as possible." Yuna ran as fast as she could to the hover. Her two friends had a difficult time keeping up. Yuna already had the engine roaring by the time Paine and Rikku reached the hover. The two of them jumped on rather hastily because they feared Yuna would take off without them.

-o-

The Bikanel Desert was known for its harsh environment and blazing heat that could kill a man in the matter of minutes. From a bird's eye view, it looked like a sea of rolling hills. The only creatures that could survive the barren wasteland were strong fiends that preyed on the weak. On that day, the fiends scattered and hid as what seemed to be an omnipotent force tore thru the sands at an incredible velocity. Only this was no force of nature, it was a hover traveling at top speeds leaving a trail of dust clouds in its wake with Yuna in the driver's sit. Since the desert was mostly made of hills of sand, the hover would sail into the air every time it left the top of a hill. Sometimes the landings were a little rough, but Yuna managed to keep the hover going.

Paine and Rikku were just along for the ride. The two could only bear the heat as best they could and hold on to something for biter life. There were a few close calls in which Yuna's rampant driving almost caused one of the others to fall out.

"Hey. Do you think Yuna is acting a little strange?" Paine had to shout as she spoke. The roar of the engine made it hard to hear anything.

"Not at all. She always gets a little crazy when she is trying to rescue someone. This is no different than all those other times we had to stop her by tackling her. And I think she is also in her period." Rikku shouted right back.

"You could be right. She is hard to control when she is going thru that. It can also explain why she has been so emotionally lately." Paine thought they were only talking loud enough for just the two of them to hear. She forgot that Yuna was not a normal person with normal hearing.

"I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING! STOP TALKING ABOUT ME AS IF I'M NOT HERE AND START LOOKING OUT FOR SQUALL DAMN IT!" Yuna would have yelled at the top of her lungs even without the noise from the engine. _'My period has nothing to do with this. I am only trying to save Squall's life…But how did Rikku know about my period?'_

From then on out, no one said another word and kept a constant vigilance for Squall. They were already in the area of the old ruins. Yuna slowed down the hover to a cruising speed and made sure to keep a watchful eye. _'Where are you Squall? You can't just disappear on me when you just came into my life. There's still so much I want to learn about you. Please be all right.'_ She was concentrating on her sight so much that she failed to notice a distant out of place sound. It's a good thing she wasn't alone.

"Yuna. Turn off the engine, I think I heard something." Paine managed to hear the distant sound. It was something that is not commonly heard in a desert.

Yuna immediately stopped the hover and shut off the engine. She looked around to find nothing but ruins and hills of sand tall enough to block the view of the horizon. All she could hear was the wind gently blowing the sand. "Are you sure you heard something?"

Paine nodded. "Yes. Just listen." She gestured with her hand for her to be left alone. It wasn't long until she heard the sound again.

All of a sudden, the sound of an explosion followed by a loud squawking of a creature, came from the other side of the large sand dune in front of them.

"I've heard that sound before, it must have been the gunblade." Yuna said while jumping off the hover.

"What was that other sound?" Rikku felt chills of fright when she heard.

"Probably a fiend meeting its end." Paine said as she pushed Rikku off the hover to hurry her along. Paine was now positive that they've found Squall and that he was okay. She looked towards Yuna to try and convince her of the same thing but was not able to. Yuna was already running up the sand dune.

When Yuna reached the summit, down on the bottom of the hill, she came across a scene much like the one she did the day she first met Squall. There were four or five bodies of huge bird fiends. She couldn't tell exactly how many there were seeing as some of them were blown into several pieces. The sand was bathed in their blood and pyreflies danced in the air as well.

It was in the middle of that gruesome scene is where Yuna finally found Squall. He was in the mitts of a battle to the death with an enormous Zu. _'Thank goodness he's still alive.'_ The warm feeling she felt was short lived because she suddenly realized he was still in danger. She was about to charge down the hill to join the fight but was stopped by a hand grabbing her shoulder.

"Wait Yuna. You're getting worked up over nothing." Paine was trying to make her recognize that there was no real danger.

"What are you talking about!? We have to go help him." Yuna frantically protested.

"Take a good look down there." Paine pointed down towards Squall. "Look at all the fiends around him that he has already killed. It looks like he did all that without getting a single scratch. And judging by the way he is handling the last Zu, I'd say it'll be dead as well quite soon."

"I have to agree with her Yunie. I don't think Squall needs our help or even wants it. Let's just wait and see what happens." Rikku took Yuna's hand in her own and gave it a light squeeze to give reassurance.

Yuna gave both her friends a worried look. She could see what they were trying to tell her. He had no trouble taking down the first group of Zus and it will probably be the same with the last one. She still had her doubts. Nevertheless, she decided to stay out of his way. "I hope your right about this guys." Yuna then looks down upon Squall to see what will be his fate.

-o-

Squall had come to this area in search of a sphere. He suspected its location would be somewhere where large birds congregate, which brought him to the northwestern territory of the Bikanel Desert. As soon as he got there, a Zu attacked him. A Zu is a massive flying beast with the power to carry a shoopuf off in its mighty talons. After vanquishing the first, several more showed up to take its place. He had been battling them ever since.

The girls arrived when he was finally down to the last one. As the Zu circled Squall in the air preparing for an attack, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of three shadowy figures on top of a sand dune. _'What are they doing here? I didn't say I needed any help. They better not get in my way.'_ After that last thought, the Zu screeched its battle cry and dove down thru the air at an unbelievable speed for such a large fiend. It was going straight down en route for Squall. When it came within a few feet above his head, it spread its wings to come to an immediate halt and at the same time use the air pressure it built up to create a giant cloud of sand to blind its prey.

Squall had to close his eyes because of all the sand flying around. Without his sight, he had to rely on his other senses to help guide his actions. He didn't move a muscle until he felt the change in the wind currents above him and heard something slicing thru the air. With his quick reflexes, he jumped back just in time to evade the Zu's attack as it plunged its beak down to the ground. What happened next only took a second to complete. Squall was now able to open his eyes given that the air was partially cleared as a result of the fiend's last assault. And without delay, he lunged at the fiend with the gunblade in his hands and sliced its eye with the tip of the blade, before it could pull its head away. The Zu, now blind in one eye, screeched out in pain and frantically flapped its wings to fly backwards in an attempt to retreat. _'That's what you get for trying to blind me and get me with that sneak attack.'_

Squall chased after the flying beast while swinging his weapon wildly at it in order to encourage its retreat. Flying in reverse did keep the Zu out of the blade's reach, however it couldn't gain any speed or altitude this way. In a desperate attempt to keep Squall away, with a single powerful flap of its tremendous wings, the fiends spent a shock wave crashing into him. He used the broad side of the Lionheart to guard his face whilst taking the full blast of the shock wave and once again being covered in a cloud of sand. Having the desired effect, the fiend was able to soar high into the sky.

When the cloud on the ground cleared, the mercenary was revealed with a proud smirk on his face. "You're going to have to do a whole lot better than that if you don't want to die today." He had no doubt in his mind that this would be over shortly.

The Zu was now enraged from the loss of an eye and the pain because of it. It badly wanted to tear into Squall with its talons and consume his remains. The fiend took higher to the sky and then swooped down towards the earth with its sharp talons drawn. Squall did nothing but stare at his enemy and rested the gunblade on his shoulder. He watched the fast approaching Zu until the last instant when the talons would have torn into him. Faster than humanly possible, he sidestepped out of the way and turned to face the fiend as it passed him by. He then jumped high into the air towards the now retreating fiend. As he came back down, he took his weapon in both hands and cut into the wing and blew it off with a pull of the trigger. The Zu quickly lost the ability to fly and crashed hard into the sand shortly after Squall touched ground.

The Zu appeared to be dead since it wasn't moving. Squall knew it was still alive and it was just taking some time to recover. He didn't approach it because any creature is most dangerous right before it dies. He didn't have to wait long until the fiend began to stir. Once on its feet, the Zu squawked furiously and then went after him. He stood ready in his fighting stance, prepared to face the creature's wrath. The moment he was within range, the fiend plunged its beak down upon Squall, who dodged it by simply doing a backflip. The instant his feet touched ground, he shoot off like a bullet towards the Zu, ducking underneath its beak as it was being pulled out of the sand and finally thrusting the full length of his blade into its chest. _'This ends now!'_ And then he pulled the trigger. The chest of the fiend burst open as if a bomb went off inside and all the bloody contents from within came gushing out. The Zu didn't make a sound as it fell to the ground dead. Squall had moved away long before it collapsed.

'_Finally. That should be the last one. Now that the job is done I can get out of here. My Lionheart is going to need a major cleaning and polishing after this.'_ He looked at all the bloodstains on his weapon with dread. He didn't like seeing one of his most prized possessions in such disarray.

"THAT WAS AWESOME! YOU'RE SOOOO COOOL SQUALLY!" Rikku loudly cheered as she run down the hill.

Squall looked to the source of the noise and saw the girls were approaching him. _'Why are they here?'_ He had forgotten about them due to the battle.

When Rikku got to him, she started patting him repeatedly on the back (much to his annoyance). "I've never seen anyone defeat one of those so easily before and without using magic too. I'm glad I was wrong about you. At first I thought Brother's idea of adding someone new was terrible. Now I can see you're going to be a great addition to the Gullwings."

"That is nice of you to say but I already told you that I am not a member of your team. I'm only working for the Gullwings. And can you please stop hitting me." He gave her a stern look to show that he meant what he said.

She let out a nervous chuckle and took back her hand. "…Sorry. But it's still nice to have you with us."

Yuna and Paine couldn't resist smiling at the two of them. Yuna was just happy to see Squall unharmed. The thought of him in danger really stressed her out. Even after seeing what he was capable of the day before did not make any difference. What she saw today probably won't make much of a difference either. She quietly walked up to him, avoiding eye contact until she was in front of him. "Squall. Why did you come all the way out here by yourself."

"To do my job and get the sphere." He said flatly.

"Are you saying you already found it?" Rikku couldn't believe it.

Without answering Squall secured the gunblade to the strap on his side. With his hands now free, he walked away from the girls to a spot near one of the fiend corpses. He dug a hand into the sand and pulled out an aqua colored sphere. He had managed to find it during the battle against the Zus but dropped it by accident. After returning to the girls, he gave the sphere to Yuna.

Yuna was mystified as she stared at the sphere, having trouble coming up with the right words. "H-How did you…? I mean…Buddy couldn't…So you…"

Despite her stammering, he could understand what she was trying to say. "After learning about the erratic patterns in which the signals showed up on the airship's sensors and learning how they work, I was able to determine the cause for the irregularities. A sphere can be most easily detected when free of any obstructions. A good place for that is the sky. The signals only lasted for a short time because the sphere wasn't in the sky for very long. Since there are many bird types that are attracted to shiny objects, I naturally assumed that a bird must have carried off the sphere until it landed again. That is what led me to believe I would find it here."

"You're a lot smarter than you look." Paine was very impressed with his skills of deduction, the other two girls as well. "You weren't kidding when you said you were going to resolve the problem."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Squall crossed his arms and waited for an answer.

Paine was carefully considering her reply until she caught sight of something that alerted her. "You'll have to wait for the answer. Right now we have more company!" She unfastened her sword from behind while observing another group of Zus coming towards them from the sky.

"It looks like I'll be having some fun after all." Rikku eagerly pulled out her two daggers. This is what she had been wanting all day.

Yuna stepped in front of Squall to keep him behind her, as if to guard him from the incoming enemies. "Stand back Squall. You've done enough for today. We'll take care of them." She pulled out her gun with her right hand and securely held the sphere under her breasts in the other hand. _'You're not getting him or the sphere!'_ She looked upon her enemies with sheer determination. "Get ready everyone." Paine and Rikku quickly fell into formation at their leader's side.

Yuna's intentions were to simply take down the fiends and safely escort Squall and the sphere back to the airship. Unfortunately this was not a time for things to go as she intended. Squall had completely ignored whatever she had told him and moved to stand in front of the girls as the vanguard.

"Damn it! Those damn birds are really pissing me off." He spoke in a low ominous growl. He was very irritated by the fact that more actually dared to show up. _'They don't know when to quit. Now I'll have to teach them a lesson they'll never forget.'_

"What do you think you're doing? Hurry up and get behind me. They're almost here." Yuna was as distressed as ever. She was about to go to him and pull him back, but an outstretched arm blocked her way.

"Wait!" Paine could sense something strange coming from Squall. "Yuna, don't you feel it? The change in the air. It feels like there's electricity in the air. I think he is about to do something?"

Yuna could not see any visual changes except for the wind picking up around him. She could, however, feel the electrified air. What was happening was somehow familiar to her, like a past experience. _'I've felt this sensation before, but where?…This feels like when Lulu used to…'_ She gasped as she suddenly realized what was about to happen.

Squall raised his right hand up to the five Zus. "ULTIMA!" He yelled as he cast a high level spell of black magic.

The sky around the fiends became pitch black. A small ball of light appeared in the center, which instantly grew into a gigantic orb of destructive green energy. The fiends were engulfed as it grew. The lights from it were so intense, the girls had to cover their eyes. The whole spell only lasted a few seconds, but that was more than enough time to deliver immense damage. After the spell ended and the sky cleared, there wasn't a single trace of a Zu anywhere. The spell had completely incinerated them.

The girls were stunned silent by what they just witnessed. It was very rare to come across a person powerful enough to use a spell such as Ultima. The girls themselves could not cast it without the aid of the Garment Grid. It would take an average black mage decades to just begin learning how to harness the spell. Even the most exceptional ones still take many years.

Yuna was the first to regain her senses. She put away her gun and walked up to Squall, who was still facing away from her. "I didn't expect to see such a display of magical ability when I came out here. I only know one other person that can cast Ultima like you can and she had to go thru hell and back just to learn it."

"And for good reason." He then turned to face her. "It takes a lot out of my stamina every time I use it. If I cast that spell too many times in a row, I would be too exhausted to perform even the simplest of healing spells."

'_He knows white magic as well!?'_ Yuna was amazed that one person could be so talented in the arts of swordsmanship and magic. She would have never guessed that these were some of the things she would learn about him. Without the Garment Grid, Yuna herself doesn't have such abilities. At one time she did have the ability to use white magic, however that came with being a summoner. When the Aeons vanished, so did her ability to use white magic.

"By the way, what are you doing here? I would have eventually returned with the sphere." Squall was still slightly annoyed by that. He hated when his employers questioned his skills and his ability to get the job done.

Yuna was suddenly reminded that she wanted to give him a piece of her mind for the way he conducted himself. "Well, what else would you expect when you leave without a word and shut off your commlink? We came here rushing thru the desert to rescue you because we thought you were in danger."

'_Correction. You alone thought he was in danger.'_ Paine thought to herself.

What Yuna said sort of caught him by surprise. The whole idea of someone coming to his rescue was entirely foreign to him. As far as he knew, this had never happened before. Everyone he had ever worked with either didn't care for his life or had enough sense to know he can take care of himself. Trying to process such a notion just gave him a headache. "Fine. Whatever." He groaned. He started walking away since his business there was done.

"Where are you going? We're not finished talking." She was peeved with him because he left before she was done with him.

"Where else? To the airship, there isn't anything else for me to do here. If I leave now, I'll be able to make it back before the sun sets."

Yuna didn't like what that possibly meant. "Are you going to walk all the way back?"

"That's the plan." He responded with a shrug as he walked on.

The image of Squall wondering the blazing hot desert disturbed her. "I can't let you do that. I came out here because of you. The least you can do is let me give you a ride back on the hover."

Squall stopped from his retreat. _'It would save me some time.'_ He didn't have much trouble seeing her logic. Nevertheless, if he were to accept her request, it would be under his terms. "Alright. But I'll be the one driving."

"Great idea!" Rikku promptly agreed.

"No problem here." Paine was quick to follow the agreement.

"W-What?" _'Am I missing something here?'_ Yuna was having some difficulty understanding what just took place. Her two close friends appeared to be deadly afraid of her on the driver's sit. Why was that?

Not giving Yuna the chance to protest, everyone else left ahead of her. Paine and Rikku were hastily leading Squall to the hover. Without any other option, Yuna decided to forget whatever just happened, the important thing was they had the sphere and he was safe. No one felt the need to speak until they were climbing aboard the hover.

"Squally. What you did today was great and all, but you have to bring us along next time. Some of us girls do enjoy the thrill of the hunt." Rikku hadn't forgotten how he stole all her fun.

He never looked at her. "I've always worked alone and that's not going to change any time soon. Get used to it." He promptly started the engine, letting the loudness of it drown out anything else she said.

"You Big Meanie!" No one could hear the thief as she shouted.

The ride back was fast and smooth. Not once did anyone grab onto something from fear of falling out. Paine and Rikku couldn't be happier with the decision to put Squall behind the wheel. They even seemed to make it back to the excavation camp in a shorter amount of time than it took to get to the old ruins. Yuna failed to notice any of this. She was too preoccupied with admiring the way Squall looked with the wind blowing thru his hair. She was the first to jump off at the campsite because she wanted to stay ahead of everyone and hide the redness of her face.

-o-

Once the party returned to the Celsius, they all rode the elevator up to the bridge. Squall was in the back, behind the girls as they went up. When the elevator came to a stop, the girls proceeded to get off and head for the bridge but Squall did not move. After reaching the sliding door, Yuna was the only one to notice he wasn't following. "Rikku, take the sphere and go on ahead. I'll join you in a minute." She gave the sphere to Rikku, who just nodded and went thru the door along with Paine.

Yuna wanted to know why Squall hadn't come with them. She made it back to the elevator just as he was about to punch in the command to move to another part of the airship. "Squall, don't you want to see what is on the sphere you found?"

Squall could see that she was not about to let him be on his way. He lowered his hand away from the control panel and readjusted himself into a more comfortable standing position. "I don't really care about that. My part of the job is over. Right now, I just want to return to my room to clean the blood stains from my gunblade and then maybe rest for a while." He hoped that answer would be enough to tell her, he had no interest in staying and talking to her. There was also something that has been plaguing his thoughts.

Yuna did see that he wanted to leave, except she won't allow it yet. She saw this as an opportunity to finish their earlier discussion. "I agree. After I'm done with what I have to do here, I might rest as well. But before you can go, we must talk about the way you handled yourself today."

'_I knew this would happen.'_ He mentally sighed. He really wasn't in the mood to come up with a clever tactic to get out of this. He wouldn't have been able to anyway because his mind was troubled by something else. He ran a hand thru his hair. "Please enlighten me."

"I only have two problems with the way you did things today. The first is that you shut off your commlink. You can never turn it off on a mission. We all have to remain in constant communication with each other. You'll never know when a teammate will be in danger and will use it to call for help. If your commlink had been on today, the rest of us would have known you were safe and wouldn't have gone to your rescue."

There it was again, what had been bothering Squall since returning. He didn't know why the notion, of someone coming to his rescue, bothered him so much. He needed time to sort it out.

"Secondly, you can't just take off on your own without letting us know, no matter what the reason. The Gullwings always work as a team, never individually. Even if you don't consider yourself as one of us, you and me and everyone else, we all have to work with one another to make this whole operation thrive. The best way to accomplish something in this business is by putting all our strengths together. So what I'm trying to say is we need you to allow us to work with you. Can you accept what I'm saying and cooperate with us in the future?" Yuna was skeptical about him accepting anything she said. Rikku had already mentioned something along these lines and Squall just blew her off.

Squall just looked at her with no emotion written on his face. Time seemed to drag on between the two as no one said anything. Yuna was beginning to think he had no intention of speaking until he finally did.

"Yes. I will do as you say." He monotonously answered.

Yuna could hardly believe her ears. She had actually reasoned with Squall and got him to see things her way. She really thought he would just make a rude comment and walk away. He had listened to her words and taken them to heart. She smiled tenderly at him. She saw this as a big step in their growing, whatever kind of, relationship. Friendship? Her spirit was flying high. This was the happiest she had felt in months. And then he spoke again.

"Although, I don't know why you bothered with that long speech. You should've just told me what to do. As your employee, I am supposed to follow your orders."

Whatever images she had of a positive future with him, shattered in an instant. Her emotions did a complete turnabout towards the worst as the meaning of what he said registered in her mind. Her eyes narrowed viciously at him, but kept her earlier smile. "Are you saying you agreed with what I said because you see me as your boss!?"

"…Yes." Squall sensed the change in Yuna and he could feel it getting worse with every passing second.

Yuna's rage exploded, her face now a ferocious scowl and baring teeth. She lunged at Squall and pushed him with all her strength. "YOU ASSHOLE! Didn't anything I say mean anything to you?"

Fortunately, Squall had previous experience with a raging Yuna. He was only pushed back a few steps since he saw it coming and braced himself for it. _'There's that killing intent again.'_ His gut instinct told him something was not right with her. She seemed more temperamental than usual. He didn't pay attention to anything else she said and just gave her a concentrated look. He could see the same red aura of rage and see her tightening her fists almost to the point of drawing blood. There was something he still couldn't see. He had to take a closer look. "You've been acting strange lately. Why is that?" Without waiting for an answer, he moved towards her.

"NOTHING IS…huh!" Yuna stopped yelling when she suddenly found Squall's face inches from her own as he leaned down upon her. Her anger quickly faded and was replaced with awkwardness. She bent her back as far as she could, but he just leaned in closer. For some reason she didn't try stepping away and kept her feet firmly planted to the floor. As she stared into his regal steel blue eyes, her entire body tensed up. _'Why is he so close to me? Oh no! I think he's trying to kiss me!'_ Several panicking thoughts ran thru her head. She could feel the cold sweat on her brow, the heating of her skin, and the rapid beating of her heart. Even her lips began to quiver; she did not know whether it was from dread or anticipation. She didn't try to do anything and just gazed wildly at him. To her, time seemed to stand still in that moment.

Squall looked deep into her dual colored eyes, searching her very soul, however found nothing of any relevance. He did see her pain, fear, desire, and other emotions but he just ignored them. He then sniffed the air around her, to see what her scent could tell him. _'Not bad.' _Her scent pleased his nostrils. "…That explains everything." He found his answer. He stood up straight again and left Yuna leaning back. "It's that time of the month." He spoke in a factual manner with the same blank expression.

Yuna was at a loss for words in shocked silence. Her eyes widen as far as possible and her entire face flushed crimson. Never before had she ever known such a level of embarrassment. _'I have to get away from him.'_ Was her only rational thought. There's no telling what else she'll go thru if she stayed. Her next natural reaction was that of an enraged escape. She felt her anger return and stood straight while glaring at him. "YOU JERK!" She then punched him hard across the jaw with a right hook. The noise from the blow reverberated throughout the corridor. She turned and left, angrily stomping her feet while heading to the bridge.

The force of the punch was powerful but only enough to jerk Squall's head a little to the side. After the door closed behind Yuna, he started rubbing his left cheek. As he stared at the door, a smirk began to form on his lips. _'I almost felt that one.'_ Seeing this side of her seemed to have earned her some more of his respect. He reentered the elevator and pushed in the command to go to the engine room.

-o-

Squall remained in his room for the rest of the day, not even going out for a meal. When he first got there, he took a good while polishing his gunblade to a perfect shine and performed some routine maintenance. He spent most of his time afterward thinking about what the Gullwings had tried to do for him today. The concept of someone coming to his rescue was totally alien to him. He couldn't understand it. He had saved the lives of many in the past. But someone trying to save his life was another matter. Maybe it was difficult for Squall to understand because subconsciously he believes he is not worth the trouble. Since he doesn't place much value on his own life, so why should someone else?

When the night finally came around, most of the crew had gone to sleep. Squall stared up into the darkness of his room, as he lay down on the bed resting his head on both his hands. He managed to gain some ground with his musings. The only people Squall could imagine placing any value on his life, enough to try and rescue, was family. He could easily see that the Gullwings were a tight-knit family. In view of the fact that they tried to save him, it could mean they considered him to be family as well. The possibility of it scared him a little. It had been a very long time since he had known the sanctity of a family. He may have forgotten how it felt.

In another part of the ship, Yuna quietly cried under the covers of her bed. She tried her best not to disturb the slumber of her two closest friends. The reason for her tears was because of how ashamed she was of herself. She felt ashamed of what she did to Squall, but mostly for what she did to Tidus, she had betrayed him.

Back when Squall was leaning over her and their faces only inches apart, Yuna really believed he was going to kiss her. In that moment, she was tremendously confused and frighten. Yet, she could tell there was some part of her that desired the feel of his lips upon her own. As a consequence of that, now she feels as if she had betrayed Tidus and his love for her. To Yuna, for her body or heart to consider any feelings for another man was regarded as cheating. She wanted to love someone wholly and completely, leaving no room in her heart for anyone else. Yuna knew she didn't love Tidus to that degree anymore, but she still held on to the belief that someday she will again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 08**

Two days have passed since the Gullwings acquired the sphere from the Bikanel Desert. Shinra had determined that the sphere could not be used for any special purposes, as a dressphere for example. However, he happily reported that the images in it could be very valuable to the right buyer. The rest of the crew whole heartily agreed once they saw it for themselves.

The sphere contained images of Operation Mi`ihen. It was a significant moment in history, of the flawed campaign in which most of the Crusaders were annihilated in a battle against Sin. Judging by what was in the sphere, it was a visual document of the Al Bhed's secret weapon and how it was supposed to obliterate Sin. The beginning revealed some of the weapon's construction. It ended with images of the climactic moment in which the weapon's beam clashed against Sin's energy shield and the resulting massive explosion that killed most of the Crusaders and destroyed the weapon. The sphere was a testament to Spira's history which marked the end of the military organization.

Given that Sin killed almost everyone involved in the campaign and destroyed most of the area, any records of Operation Mi`ihen were extremely rare. Such a rare item would definitely bring the Gullwings an enormous profit from its sale. The amount they'd get would solve their financial problems and still leave enough to last them for several months. Brother was lucky Squall was not present when the crew saw the sphere, otherwise Brother would have certainly kissed him on the lips, therefore causing his own demise.

What was left for the Gullwings to do was find a buyer for the sphere. These days, thanks to the marvel of Shinra's invention, they did all their business thru the CommSphere network. The network allowed them to conduct business without the bother of traveling for days throughout Spira just to find who was willing to buy a sphere. Now the only traveling they had to do in a sale, was to deliver the merchandise and collect the payment.

The Gullwings mostly did business with New Yevon, the Youth League, and a few private collectors. Sometimes they dealt with small groups, much like the former Seekers, that were only interested in unmasking the mysteries of the past. Unfortunately, groups like that couldn't afford to do business with the Gullwings most of the time. That is the main reason Yuna was never permitted to conduct any of the negotiations. She would feel sympathetic to the cause of such a group and end up selling the sphere to them at a severely reduced price or giving it to them for free. She was too kindhearted.

The Celsius was still stationed close by the excavation camp in the Bikanel Desert. Until a buyer was found, there was no need to go anywhere else for now.

Since the incident with Squall, Yuna had been avoiding him at every possible turn. If she had to be in the same room with him, she would stand at the furthest possible corner. During meal times, in which almost everyone gathered, she would either sit on the stool at the opposite end of the bar of where Squall sat or take her meal to another part of the airship. Whenever someone questioned Yuna about her behavior, she would say she was mad at him for something he did and she didn't want to be around him for the time being. When asked what he did, she never answered.

Yuna's claim of anger was just a cover for her real reason for steering clear of Squall. The reason being, she was too embarrassed and afraid to face him. Embarrassed by what he said about her period and for hitting him. Afraid of the feelings his presence might arouse from within her. She already felt like she betrayed Tidus somehow, she didn't want to make it worse. Yuna knew she was over reacting but until she settled the issues within her, she thought it was best to stay away from Squall for now.

-o-

Yuna was lying on her bed trying to get an afternoon nap. She was close to falling asleep until her stomach started growling. During breakfast that morning, Squall was already sitting at the bar before she had a chance to climb down the stairs, so she decided to skip that meal. Seeing that her hunger would not let her sleep, the high summoner chose to get something to eat instead.

Once downstairs, she noticed no one was in sight. "Barkeep?" She called but there was no answer. She looked towards his room and saw that the door was locked. _'He must be resting.'_

Yuna wasn't a very good cook but she could still manage to make something good enough to satisfy her hunger. She went behind the bar and began to scavenge the kitchen area. Before she could even decide on what to eat, a distant sound coming from the corridor caught her immediate attention. The sound had become quite familiar to her as a warning sign. _'Squall is coming this way!'_ Since he wears several belts around his waist, they rattle together with every step he takes. She desperately searched for a place to hide. There wasn't any time to run back upstairs so she ducked down behind the counter.

When the door slide open, both Squall and Paine stepped thru. It was not unusual to find them in each other's company. They have grown close to each other ever since the day they battled one another.

"It appears we're the only ones here." Paine looked around to find no one, which was strange. There was always at least one person in the cabin area.

"Good. I like it better this way. There won't be anyone else around to bother me, like that little blond girl." Squall spoke as he walked over to the bar and had a seat.

"You mean Rikku don't you? Have you actually forgotten her name?" Paine soon sat down next to him.

"No. I just haven't bothered to remember her name yet." He shrugged as if it meant nothing.

'_Is it the same with me?'_ Yuna would be hurt if it was true. She could clearly hear everything they said. She was sitting on the floor behind the bar only a few feet away.

"You better not let her hear you saying that. You wouldn't want her as an enemy." Paine was serious. She still had nightmares from the last time she made Rikku angry.

"Where is she anyway? I want to be long gone before she decides to show up." It seems Squall considers Rikku to be the biggest annoyance out of everyone.

"Right now she is in the bridge. She is talking to various clients thru the CommSphere. She normally handles all the negotiations."

"I see. She is an airhead most of the time but she makes up for it with true fighting ability and savvy." He knows not to judge a book by its cover. "But what is the CommSphere."

'_Damn it! How long are those two lovebirds going to talk? I've got better things to do you know.'_ Yuna still couldn't stand the thought of Squall and Paine being together.

"It's one of Shinra's inventions. It's the same as the commlink but with moving images and much longer range. You can actually see the person you're talking to." Paine found it hard to believe he didn't know about the CommSphere yet.

"Well isn't that something?" He wasn't very impressed. "So is that what the high summoner isn't allowed to touch."

"Please don't call her that, she doesn't like it. She knows it's an honorable title except she thinks it's stupid and wishes everyone would just call her by her name." Paine would never hesitate to defend her friend under any circumstance.

'_Thanks a lot Paine.'_ Yuna never liked all the attention the title of high summoner brought to her. It was too embarrassing. She was a private person and being recognized everywhere she went was a real hassle.

"You're right. I won't call her that again." He would never turn down a request from Paine. He would have done so anyway because he knew how something like that felt. "Sadly, I can relate to her on that." He sighed and seemed to become a little depressed.

'_Squall can actually relate to me!?'_ Yuna was now very interested in hearing their conversation.

"Are you saying you have some kind of title as well?" Paine's interest was also peaked.

The mercenary wished he hadn't mentioned that. He rested his arms on the counter and looked down at his own reflection from the shiny black surface. "...Yeah. But that's in the past. Just forget about it."

Paine could see he really didn't want to go into it. Lucky for him, she wasn't one to push the matter. "Alright. I don't need to know if you don't want to tell me."

'_This sucks!'_ Yuna was disappointed in Paine. _'I would have forced the answer out of him any way I could…what am I thinking!?'_ She was shocked by what she was willing to do. No other person had ever caused Yuna to act or think in such a way.

"Since we're on the subject of Yuna, there is something I need to ask you." Paine suddenly remembered Yuna's dilemma with him. "I've tried asking her but she never gives me any straight answers. Why has she been avoiding you?"

Yuna became very nervous now that they were going to discuss that. She was afraid of what they could possibly figure out together.

"What do you mean?" Apparently Squall didn't notice the way Yuna had been acting around him.

Paine was surprised by what he just asked. "…Are you saying that you haven't noticed Yuna giving you the cold shoulder for the last two days!? And don't tell me it's because you didn't bother to notice."

"No, not really. And you're right, I didn't bother to notice."

Rage. That was the only feeling that welled up throughout her entire body. Yuna had never known such anger was possible. She could actually hear the roar of fire in her ears. Somehow Squall's lack of attention to her, had sent her over the edge. She bared her teeth and began to growl viciously, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She badly wanted to bash him again, except she couldn't permit herself to do so. She had to resist and hold on to her sanity. She had to.

Squall soon sensed a raise in the room temperature. _'Something is wrong here!'_ He knew there was danger nearby, just not exactly where. His face took on a grim expression and he focused on locating the source.

Paine saw the sudden change in her male friend's demeanor. "Squall, what's wrong?" Shortly after asking, she spotted movement in the corner of her eye. It came from behind the bar.

Not being able to contain her rage, Yuna rapidly stood up and came face to face with the person in that moment she hated. She had never felt hatred towards another human being before. It seems Squall was a constant source of new experiences for her.

Paine was terror-stricken by what she saw before her. Not once had she ever seen such a look of pure hatred coming from Yuna. Such a thing was impossible when it came to her. Paine was too scared to do anything except to sit and watch what happened.

"Oh. It's just you." The mercenary said with a look of indifference. He dropped his guard once he saw what had alerted him. _'I've should have known.'_ He was now more concerned with his failure to detect Yuna's presence when she was so close by.

"Yeah, it's just me. The person that is only A BOSS TO YOU!" While shouting the last of her words, Yuna leaned over the counter and dealt Squall a colossal blow to his face. The force of which sent him, and the stool he sat on, crashing to the floor. She felt that wasn't nearly enough, she still wanted to hurt him even more. She leaped over the counter ready to inflict more pain. Standing by his feet, she caught sight of the same look of indifference.

Squall looked at her as if nothing had happened. "What was that for?" He asked her in a calm manner. He sat up and started brushing off any dirt that may have gotten on his jacket. He didn't do anything when she raised her fist for another strike. He didn't care if Yuna had to hit him to get over her anger.

The mercenary's apathy made Yuna even angrier and yet it also hurt her. Because he wasn't doing anything to try and stop her, told her that he didn't care about her at all. With this revelation, her raised fist began to shake unsteadily and her eyes glazed over with tears. When she shed her first tear, she could no longer endure looking at him. It was too painful. She turned and started running out of the room. Before she could get on the elevator, sounds of her sobbing could be heard coming from the corridor.

As the sounds of sadness faded, Paine returned to her senses and went to check on Squall. "She didn't hurt you too badly, did she?"

Now that she mentioned it, Squall rubbed the side of his jaw. _'I actually felt that one!'_ This time he was fairly impressed. He stood up and shook his head. "Not one bit."

"Squall, you have got to tell me what happened between you two? I've never seen her act this way before." Paine was now very concerned about Yuna.

Squall just shrugged. "I'm not sure myself. I think I said something that upset her."

"Well, whatever you said had a big impact on her. You have to go apology to her." Paine knew he was the only one that could do something with Yuna at the moment.

"I have done nothing wrong." His pride would not allow him to apology for something he didn't do.

"I know it probably isn't your fault. Yuna went thru a painful breakup with her boyfriend and for the past few months she has been trying to get over it. There is a lot of history between them, so it's hard on her every time she is reminded of him. What you did might have caused her to relive some of that pain. Since she is mad at you, you're the only one that can help her now. Please, I'm really worried about her."

Squall didn't like seeing his friend sadden. As he looked into her distressed face, he began to see how significant Yuna was to her. "Is she that important to you?"

Paine gave him a small sad smile. "Yuna means everything to me. She means everything to everyone here. We would all give our lives for her."

"…Fine. I'll go apology." Helping Paine was far more important than his pride.

-o-

The sun was settings over the desert horizon. The sky was a beautiful portrait of orange, yellow, and red. The wind was starting to blow the cool air of the night. It was the perfect time to admire the breathtaking scenery of the hills of rolling sand.

The only person outside could not enjoy much of anything because she was filled with too much sorrow. On the deck, beside the gull hood ornament, sat a grief-stricken Yuna. She wept into her arms and knees as she sat in the fetal position. _'I'm sorry Squall! I'm just so sorry…' _ For no real reason at all, she had assaulted him again. In that moment she hated him and now she hated herself. She was terribly ashamed of herself for feeling hatred for another and for striking out because of it. She no longer knew who she was.

But there was something else that was causing her tears to flow, something she tried to avoid because it was too painful to think of. _'He doesn't care about me!'_ Every time it crossed her mind, Yuna's emotional agony and whimpering would only increase. The more that thought came to mind, the deeper she would fall into her dark pit of despair. This feeling was familiar to Yuna. She felt the same way the day she finally realized her relationship with Tidus wasn't going to work and she had to leave him.

Yuna was so caught up in her agony, she failed to hear the deck door opening. Squall knew he had come to the right place when he heard the sounds of sobbing being carried thru the air. He saw a lonely little figure at the front end of the deck. _'She better appreciate the fact that I went thru the trouble of looking for her just to apology and for no __real __reason for that matter.' _ With his resolve in place, he began to walk to her.

As Squall closed in on her, Yuna soon heard the familiar rattling of his belts. "GO AWAY! You've already done enough." She hid her face in her arms, not once daring to look at him. _'He's probably here just to make me feel like a fool again by saying I'm being stupid.'_

"I'm not going anywhere until I've done what I came here for." Squall came to a stop a few feet behind her.

"…Please, just leave me alone. I know I'm being stupid…and I'm sorry for hitting you. I already feel bad enough for that as it is. I don't need you…to add to it, so just go away. I don't want to see anyone, …especially not you." Her wavering voice was filled with her pain and sadness. Yuna was already feeling worse since now there was a witness to her miserable state.

Squall could see it was going to take more than a simple embrace to console Yuna this time. If he tried coming need her, she may lash out at him. Even if he did apology, it still might not make a difference. He'll need more information about her problem to know how to help her. "I'm not leaving until you tell me why you're upset."

'_Damn you! Why can't you leave me alone?'_ Yuna would have gone someplace else but he would just follow her and there was the risk someone else would see her in this sad state. If she wanted to get rid of him, she had to cooperate. "…You said something that…that deeply hurt me." Yuna faltered in her answer.

'_Paine is right. I must have reminded her of her boyfriend.'_ Squall did not like the way this was going. This could be a real problem for him. "This is not the first time I've made you cry. Is my presence here too difficult for you to deal with?"

Yuna wasn't sure how she should answer that question. She might send the wrong message if she wasn't carefully. "…Sometimes."

"I see." _'I was afraid of this. I'll continue to remind Yuna of her boyfriend for as long as I'm around. If she is sad, Paine will be as well. I cannot have that.'_ He could only see one solution to the whole problem. It will be difficult for him.

"Do you have any other question? If not LEAVE!" Yuna's whimpering grew louder as she spoke. She didn't want to answer any more intrusive questions, which only made her feel worse.

Squall sighed as he made up his mind. He had to go thru with his decision. "…No. I have nothing more to ask. I just came here to say, I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. It was never my intention to hurt you."

Yuna's heart skipped a beat. She stopped crying right away but her tears continued to slowly fall from her eyes. _'He's sorry!? Only a person who cares would apology!'_ She gradually lifted her head and turned to look at him with bloodshot eyes. She was too caught up in her disbelief to consider the messy apperance of her face, with a runny nose and all. But it was better that way, it's real and honest.

'_I guess there really isn't a reason for me to stay here any longer. In a way, I have accomplished what I set out to do in this place, more than I ever dreamed possible.'_ Squall's decision was to leave the Gullwings. It was the only way for him to avoid causing more trouble for Yuna and Paine. "If my presence here brings this many problems, the best thing for everyone will be for me to quit working here and leave as soon as possible. In fact, I should do that right now. I'm sorry again for all the trouble I've caused you." He gave her a small bow and then turned to walk away.

In Yuna's perception, time seemed to slow down to a crawl, where a normal second was as long as a minute. _'Squall is leaving? Forever!?'_ She watched as he slowly turned his back to her. In that instant, she felt as if she had been thrown back in time and forced to relive a moment of heavy loss, the time when her first love was fading away before her very eyes. She tried to grab onto him, however she went thru him as if he were made of air and tumbled to the ground. That was one of the most tragic moments in her life.

Now it was happening again, she had to watch someone special to her disappear. _'Squall is special to me!?'_ In that one second, where everything moved at a slow pace, Yuna realized he had become someone very important to her, just as Rikku and Paine. She couldn't bear losing either one of her two best friends, and now that also included Squall. She was not about to let him go anywhere.

A new stream of tears flowed from her eyes as she moved onto her hands and knees. "NO!" She propelled herself forward and rapped her arms and legs around Squall's left leg. "I won't let you leave. You're not going anywhere." She desperately commanded him.

"Yuna. What are you doing?" The mercenary had only taken a few steps when the weight of an entire human body clasped itself to his leg. _'I've never met a woman this hard to understand. First she tells me to leave and now she doesn't want me to go anywhere.'_ He didn't know what had gotten into her, but he did know that he had to leave. Paine's happiness depended on it.

"I'm doing what I can to stop you. You can't just quit the Gullwings." Yuna looked up at him to show him her face. She hoped the tears of a woman would deter him like it would most men. Fat chance!

"I can and I will. So stop embarrassing yourself and let go of my leg. The sun is setting. If I leave now, I might find a place to send the night at the excavation camp." His patience was wearing thin.

"I don't care! Please, I'm begging you to reconsider." She buried her face into his upper thigh and went on loudly sobbing, soaking his pants with her tears.

His face took on a scowl of frustration. "I've had enough of your childish games woman. I'm going even if I have to drag your sorry ass all the way." The mercenary was now pissed. An additional hundred something pounds made no difference to him. He began to march onward as if he had a limp.

Yuna hung on to his leg as if her life depended on it. "Please, Squall don't do this. You're too valuable to the Gullwings." Yuna desperately yelled. By this point, she was purposely making herself cry. She was also running out of things to say to convince him not to go.

Squall ignored everything she said. _'Why does this shit always happen to me?'_ He continued to hobble along with his aggravation knowing no end.

Before Squall had the chance to get close enough, the deck entrance started to rise open on its own. That could only mean someone else was about to come out. He stopped his lumped stride to see who was about to be revealed. Yuna also paused from her pleading, in reaction to the new arrival. Since she was lower to the ground, she was the first to see Squall's potential love interest.

'_Oh no! What will Paine think when she sees us like this?' _Yuna had enough sense to know that Squall and her were painting a very suggestive picture at the moment. A woman clinging to a man's leg can do that. The mere thought of it caused her face to deeply blush.

When the door opened, quite a sight greeted Paine. "…Well. This certainly wasn't what I expected to find, but it's still fairly interesting." She found her two friends in a rather provocative position. Looking at Yuna, it was obvious she was too embarrassed to speak and Squall made it seem as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Squall. When I asked you to look for her, I never thought you would become this friendly with her just to apology." Paine spoke while shaking her head.

Yuna's eyes widen and her entire face turned into a deeper red. She buried her face into his leg from the humiliation. _'This can't be happening!'_ If that already wasn't enough, now she also had to worry about how this might affect the growing relationship between Paine and Squall. Yuna didn't like the idea of them being together, nevertheless, she wasn't one to purposely get in the way either. "This isn't what it looks like…" Came her muffled plead.

"I don't know what you're talking about Paine and it doesn't matter anyway. I'm in a bit of a hurry right now. If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of." Not waiting for any response, Squall continued to hobble along, soon to pass by Paine.

When Yuna suddenly felt herself being lifted off the floor again, she recalled her reason for clinging to his leg. She turned to Paine. "Paine, you have to help me! Squall is about to quit the Gullwings and move out." Maybe if they both worked together, they might be able to stop him.

Once Squall was on the verge of passing by Paine, she placed her hand flat on his chest to bring him to a halt. "Hold it! Just because you made a girl cry, you're going to pack up and leave? Are you really that dim-witted?" Upon learning of his intentions, she became deadly serious. She was not just going to permit him to go either. It appeared as if she was even willing to fight him.

Squall was dumbfounded by Paine's change in attitude towards him. "…Oh…yes and no…I think?" When she put it that way, he did look kind of stupid. He also couldn't figure out why she, all of a sudden, appeared to be angry with him. "I should go, it would be better that way. If I stay, I will eventually cause Yuna to get upset again."

"She will get over it!" Paine said flatly.

"Yes, she is right. In fact I already have." Yuna nodded in agreement.

"But isn't it better just to get rid of the source of a problem?" Squall still felt his departure was the best and most logical choice.

"We will not get rid of you!" Yuna squeezed his leg even tighter to add to her point. _'I will never allow that to happen.'_

"Squall, you must understand that sometimes a girl is going to cry no matter what you do. Especially, when she is going thru a rough breakup like Yuna. It's a common part of a woman's nature. That's no reason for you to run away like a coward." Paine was trying to bait him, by challenging his pride as a fearless mercenary.

'_She actually told him about me and Tidus!?'_ Yuna knew it wasn't exactly top-secret information, but she would have preferred to keep Squall in the dark about it. And she didn't like it when people misinterpret her situation. "Tidus and I are not broken up, we just need some time apart." Too bad no one was listening to her.

Squall became equally as serious as Paine. "I am no coward! I was only trying to do the right thing, making a small sacrifice for the greater good. If that isn't good enough for you then fine, I won't quit." _'Why are they giving me such a hard time with this?'_ Somewhere inside, he was struck with that same fear from the other night. Do the Gullwings consider him to be one of the family?

Yuna was incredibly relieved to hear him say that. She happily relaxed her grip on him and turned it into an affectionate embrace while also rubbing her cheek against his thigh. _'He must care about me very much if he was willing to quit just because he made me a little sad.' _It warmed her heart to know he was still going to be nearby.

Paine happily smiled. He fell right into her trap. "Good. Now that it's settled, I can go get something to eat. I see everything else is okay here. I'll see you two later." She waved them goodbye and then turned to walk to the elevator. She had tricked him into staying (it looks like Paine can be just as deceptive as Squall). There was nothing for her to worry about, because she knew Squall was a man of his word.

The door closed almost immediately after she had gone. Squall stared at it while trying to understand how she managed to deceive him. _'Paine made a fool out of me. Not many people can do that. I underestimated her.' _When he tried to take a step forward, he was reminded of the additional weight still attached to him. Squall gazed down to find Yuna snuggling against his leg with a content smile. "Yuna, you do know I agreed to stay right?"

"Of course I do." Came her cheerful response.

"Then why haven't you let go of my leg? You're cutting off my circulation." He gave her a focused look.

Yuna realized she was still in a somewhat intimate position. She lost herself while staring into his eyes but maintained enough sense to gradually unwrap her arms and legs. The pink coloring of her cheeks gave away her embarrassment. "…I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. Most of this mess is really my fault." She had released him, but she remained on the floor.

"What's done is done. The important thing is you're feeling better. Where the fault lies does not matter. Although, I would prefer to avoid a repeat of today in the future." Squall crossed his arms and heavily sighed, the frustration of the day's events apparent on his face.

Yuna began to giggle, finding his appearance too cute. "Don't worry, I'll give you fair warning for my next menstrual cycle. By the way, it was nice of you to consider leaving just to avoid making me miserable."

"Whatever." He then offered Yuna his hand to help her off the floor.

Yuna gasped in mild surprise when his hand suddenly appeared before her. She hesitated for a moment before grasping it with her own. _'His hand is so warm.'_ Squall easily pulled her up but she still held on to it after she was on her feet. She wanted to feel his warmth a little longer before letting go.

"I think I will retire for the rest of the night." With that said, he retrieved his hand and began walking to the door. _'This has been an exhausting day.'_

Yuna looked down at her feet as she tried to come to a decision; there was something she felt she had to tell Squall. After the door began to rise open for him, she finally looked up at him. "Squall wait!" He stopped but do not turn around. "Tidus and I, we are having some problems with our relationship. We're not exactly together right now. I wanted to give us some space so I rejoined the Gullwings. There still might be a future for us, but…I don't know."

"Why are you telling me this?" He spoke over his shoulder.

Yuna looked down at her feet again. "…I guess I just wanted to let you know that."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but unless it has something to do with me one way or another, I don't care to hear about it. You should not feel the need to tell me things that are none of my business."

"I understand." Yuna knew that he meant no disrespect. He just wasn't the type of person that can easily relate to others or care to even try without good reason. "You're only here to work, nothing more. Anything else would be a nuisance to you. Even so, I still want you to know what you tried to do today meant a lot to me."

Squall glanced at her over his shoulder for a moment, then went on walking inside. _'Sorry Yuna, I tried to leave because of Paine, not you.'_ He thought it was better not to tell her that. If he did, it would cause trouble for everyone. Nobody wanted to see her sad.

It was an evening full of misunderstandings. Yuna was not upset for the reasons Squall had originally thought and Squall did not decide to stay for the reasons Yuna had thought. Fortunately, it all worked out it the end.

-o-

Later that night, Rikku happily announced that she had found a buyer that will pay a bundle for the sphere, the buyer being the Youth League. The league was prepared to pay almost any price for the sphere because of its historical significance to them. Most of the league's members were former Crusaders. Rikku had scheduled a meeting with meyvn Nooj for the day after tomorrow to complete their transaction.

Brother ordered the Celsius would take off first thing in the morning. Since the next day was going to be fairly busy for most of them, the crew decided to turn in earlier than usual.

Yuna had gone to bed a while ago but was having some difficulty falling asleep. Her mind was keeping her awake by continually replaying the day's events. She had made a major discover about herself that day, Squall had become very important to her and she cared about him very much. She felt a nervous jitter of joy in the pit of her stomach. Something she would normally feel when she met a wonderful new friend.

In spite of what's happened so far between them, Yuna really enjoyed being around Squall. She had never experienced a relationship like the one she had with him. She had never freely expressed her anger and frustrations with anyone like she did with him, even if he was the cause of most of it. And in the end, she would be smiling or laughing as if she had never been upset.

The most embarrassing moment for Yuna was when Paine walked in on her while she was clinging on to Squall's leg. Remembering it brought back every feeling she felt there. When she thought of what it must have looked like to Paine, she broke out into an uncontrollable laughter. Yuna tried to cover her face with a pillow to muffle the noise she was creating.

Paine was having trouble sleeping as well. Thoughts of how her new friend almost walked out on her kept running thru her mind. She felt a strange closeness or connection to him that she wanted to further explore and with him gone that would not have been possible. When she heard Yuna's laugher, it didn't take her long to figure out the reason for it. Paine couldn't resist but to laugh out loud as well.

Rikku was the only one of the three that was soundly sleeping. However, she was awoken when the room filled with the sound of laughter. She sat up on her bed to see what was going on. "You guys, can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

Yuna and Paine did not pay attention to her and just kept laughing.

"Okay, I give up. Since you woke me up, you have to tell me what's so funny?" Rikku's curiosity got the better of her.

The other two girls still continued to laugh on with no intention of ever answering Rikku.

"Come on you guys. TELL ME!" Rikku never got a reply.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09**

The day of the sale of the sphere had finally arrived. The day before was spent mostly flying to Mushroom Rock Road. The Gullwings, earlier in the day, safely landed on top of a plateau close by the Youth League Headquarters and would soon leave the Celsius for their meeting with the meyvn.

Yuna was in the bridge waiting for when the time would arrive for her to depart. She was in a discussion with some of her teammates involving the day's plans. There wasn't much to discuss. When the time came, she would go to the meeting, complete the sale, and return with the payment. If something happened along the way, there would be plenty of time to deal with it. Now they were trying to decide on who would be going.

"I most definitely want to go. If we're lucky, the Youth League will be having another battle tournament. Since they have nothing major to do most of the time, they hold one often. I'm really itching for some action." Rikku hasn't been in any type of battle in weeks.

"Is that all you think about?" Brother sometimes seriously questioned his sister's priorities.

Rikku just shrugged. "I have to go anyways since I'm the one that made the deal. I see no problem in having some fun in the process."

"Is Paine going as well?" Buddy asked.

"I believe she will. I'm sure she would like to see Nooj." Yuna knew that Paine admired him very much as an old friend and leader.

"Where is she now?" Asked Brother.

"I think she's hanging out with Squally in the cabin. They've become the best of buddies. And who knows, maybe even more than that." Answered Rikku with a suggestive wink.

'…_!?'_ Yuna's brow produced a few droplets of a cold sweat. She didn't know what to think. "…Well oh…now that you mention him, I better go down there and tell Squall that he should go with us." She then tuned and began walking to Shinra's workstation.

"I don't think he'll want to come along. I'm pretty sure he will describe this as not being part of his job." Rikku had gotten to know Squall well enough to know he only cooperates with them when he feels his services are needed.

"It won't hurt to ask." Yuna answered over her shoulder. She subsequently moved to stand behind Shinra's chair. "Do you have the sphere? I'll be leaving soon."

"The sphere is right here." Shinra spun around in his chair and handed it to Yuna.

"Thank you." Yuna gazed into the orb that rested in both her hands. _'Squall fought valiantly to get this and without any help from us.' _She recollected her memories of his battles with Paine and the Zu. Watching him fight mesmerized her, as if the way he fought was somehow magical. She then secured the sphere inside the pouch of her belt.

-o-

At the same time in another part of the airship, Paine and Squall were just finishing their last round of drinks at the bar.

"It looks like it's almost time for me to head out." Paine set her empty glass back on the counter.

"What are you going to do?" Squall casually sat on a barstool facing his friend as he leaned against the counter.

"To accompany Yuna while she completes the sale of the sphere you so effortlessly acquired for us." Paine gave him a slight grin and stood up from her stool.

"I was just doing my job. That isn't something too remarkable if you ask me." He never took praise well.

"I'm also going to visit an old friend. Want to come along? I would like it if you met him. I think you two might have a few things in common." To her, Squall possessed the same type of aura and commanding presence as Nooj. They were both silent pillars of massive strength. She believed Squall would also make a great leader, only he would not hesitate to reject such a role.

"Can it wait until later? I haven't trained very much lately so I was planning on going to a sealed cavern close by."

"You mean the Den of Woe! Are you sure? It's very dangerous in there." Paine had a bad history with that cavern. She came close to dying twice before in that place.

"You should know by now that I can handle myself. I wouldn't go there if I knew it was too tough for me." He would still go even if it were too tough. "Besides, Yuna told me I can use this commlink thing to call for help." He pointed to the collar of his jacket where it was attached. _'There's no guarantee I will use it even if I were in danger._'

Paine had to trust his judgment and she now knew his true strength after crossing blades with him. "Alright. When you're done with your training, we will go together to meet my friend. Okay?"

"Yeah sure." He nodded as he responded.

"I'll see you later then." Paine heads towards the exit, to go meet up with the others. "Don't underestimate the Den of Woe, be careful in there." With that last warning she disappeared thru the door.

When Paine reached the end of the corridor, the elevator had just arrived with a passenger. "Are we leaving soon?"

"Yes. I just wanted to invite Squall to come with us. I think it'll be a great opportunity to introduce him as a new Gullwing to everyone." Yuna stepped off the elevator and stood in front of Paine.

"I think that is good and all, but he won't agree to that. You know how he feels about that." Paine objected.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I'll say he's a Gullwing when he is not around to protest." Yuna had a sly smile. She would love to see the day when Squall calls himself a Gullwing.

Paine shook her head no. "Well it still might not matter. He said he already had other plans."

"I guess I'll just have to talk him into postponing his plans. It's important to me he comes with us." Yuna put her hands on her hips and wore a face of determination.

'_I hope you can. I'm not thrilled about him going to the Den of Woe.'_ Paine went into the elevator. "Good luck with that. I'll wait for you in the bridge."

The mentioning of the bridge reminded Yuna of Rikku's last comment before leaving. _'Could they be more than friends?'_ Yuna turned around to face Paine again. "…Um. What have you been doing with Squall today?"

Paine was reaching for the control panel when she heard the question. "We just sat at the bar and talked for a while." _'Where did this come from?'_ She found such a question from Yuna to be peculiar. Rikku was the one expected to ask something like that. "Why are you asking?"

"Because…oh…" Yuna was becoming nervous, having some difficulty coming up with an adequate excuse. "…I've noticed you two have become good friends recently and I was just curious about the things you two do together."

'_There's something more she's not saying. She is even starting to sweat.'_ Paine's suspicion gave her enough reason to probe Yuna for some answers. However, now was not the time for that, soon they had to be on their way. "Well yes. I consider him a friend, but we don't do anything special."

Yuna wiped the sweat off her brow. She was relieved that Paine didn't question her motives. She felt she was still pushing it but she was compiled to find more answers. "You've told me Squall was also a Crusader. Did you know him back when you were one?" _'Maybe I can see where their relationship is going by learning where it started, if it ever did.'_

"No, I did not. It would have been impossible for me to know the thousands upon thousands of Crusaders." Paine could still close her eyes and picture the countless numbers of men and women in large squadrons.

Yuna was pleased and disappointed, there was no history between them but she also couldn't learn anything. Not knowing what else to say at the moment, her gaze slowly drifted to the floor. _'Damn. I can't go any further into this without alerting more suspicion. What else can I do? Asking Squall about this is far too risky. I learned the hard way about his exceptional ability in reading people. He'll see right thru me.'_

Paine saw that Yuna wasn't going to speak any time soon, so she had to set things in motion. "Yuna, right now is not the best time to talk. If we wait much longer, we're going to be late for the appointment with Nooj." She pressed a command into the elevator and it started to rise. "Go and quickly talk to Squall and let me know how it goes."

Yuna looked up from her deliberation at the sudden noise of the moving elevator. "Yes you're right. I will call you on the commlink in a few minutes." Not wanting to waste anymore time, she quickly strode thru the hall to the cabin.

She found Squall still leaning against the bar watching an entertainment program on the sphere monitor situated at the far end of the counter. She began to feel nervous again when she saw him. Since his back was turned to her, she thought he had not noticed her yet. Yuna lightly paced across the floor, she didn't want to alert him of her presence. Until she calmed her nerves, she felt she wasn't ready to face him just now. In the meantime, she could make her way towards him.

"What do you want?" Squall had known she was there the moment she stepped off the elevator. Ever since the last time she managed to get close without him noticing, he had kept a constant vigilant of her. What notified him of her presence was her scent. Every time Squall picked up a floral aroma in the air, he knew Yuna was near. It remained him of a moonlit night he once spent alone in the Moonflow. The variety of flowers found in that area had the same aroma.

Yuna was only a few steps behind him when he unexpectedly addressed her. She as she jumped back surprised. "…How did you know I was here?"

"I saw you approaching thanks to your reflection on the sphere monitor. Now hurry and state your business, it's obvious you're here to bother me with something." He continued to nonchalantly watch the monitor.

Yuna glared at his back with an irritated expression. _'Is he angry with me because of what happened the other day? What am I thinking? He always treats me like this.' _"I've told you quite a few times already that speaking to someone like that is very rude." She then punched him in the shoulder. "And will it kill you to look at me?"

'_It just might!'_ Squall growled under his breath and turned on his stool to face her.

Yuna smiled sweetly at him. "Good, now that's better." She liked to gaze into his beautiful steel blue eyes. "I just wanted to invite you to come along with me and the other girls. I think this will be a good opportunity for you to see how sphere hunters conduct business."

"No thanks, I already have other plans." Squall rested his back against the counter and crossed his arms. He wanted to get comfortable because he knew Yuna was not about to drop the subject.

"Well then you'll have to postpone them. I'm sure it can wait until later."

"No."

Yuna stomped her boot on the floor. "Why not? This is an important part of the job?" He never fails to irritate her.

"Because I don't want to and my job is to hunt spheres not sell them."

Yuna rested her hands on her shapely hips. _'He's one stubborn bastard. But he is also a straightforward and truthful type of guy. Maybe I can use that.' _"Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

"Yes."

Yuna waited a few moments to see if there was more to his answer. "…And how would that be exactly?"

Squall shook his head. "You really are dense! You should realize by now that you're my employer and I have to follow any orders you give." He didn't like it sometimes but that was the way he operated. It kept things simple for him.

She wanted to strangle him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. You still insist on regarding me as your boss. Fine, if that's the way you want it. I'm ordering you to accompany me while I attend a meeting with the meyvn. I expect to see you outside in the next few minutes." With nothing more to say, Yuna started walking away to the corridor.

Squall sighed in defeat. _'That woman never quits. She'll do almost anything to get her way. Is this her power I've heard so much about?'_ He then gazed at her retreating form. "Tell me something, has there ever been anyone you haven't been able to bend to your will?"

Yuna stopped in her retreat. She looked over her shoulder with a playfully smile. "As a matter of fact, no there hasn't. But you most definitely have proven to be the most challenging one."

"Whatever."

-o-

After a quick stop at his room, Squall retrieved the gunblade and was now on his way outside thru the cargo bay. _'Damn it. Why couldn't she leave me alone? I want to avoid everyone in that damn Youth League.'_ He was obviously not too thrilled about accompanying the girls. He found them waiting for him as he descended the hatch.

"I can't believe Yunie actually convinced you into coming with us." Rikku was the first to approach him.

"Neither can I." Squall reluctantly agreed with the petite blond.

"Never underestimate the power of Yuna." Paine added.

The commentary caused Yuna to giggle. "…Okay you guys, we ought to get a move on. The league is close by, however it's still a fairly long walk from here."

The high summoner began leading the way with the others following from behind. Squall didn't move until everyone else was ahead of him. He took it upon himself to cover the rear flank of the group. If they were ever attacked, it would most likely come from their backs.

After a few minutes of traveling in silence, Yuna looked over her shoulder and noticed Squall was far behind them. She stopped and turned around. "Squall, I don't want you following so far behind. Come over here and walk next to me." She yelled her command.

'_That woman has no sense of proper team formations.'_ Squall kicked a small pebble on the ground in annoyance. Without a word, he march on over to her.

Yuna showed her appreciation with a cheerful smile. _'This is much better.'_ She started walking again but didn't go too far since Squall didn't budge. "Come on, nothing will happen to you. There's no need to be nervous." She waved him over with a gesture of her hand. She spoke to him in a warm and gentle way, as a mother would to her child. He gave her a slight glare of irritation. With a loud grunt, he took his place at her side. They all started moving again. Yuna covered her month as she snickered. His display of childish defiance was too adorable.

Paine walked closely next to Rikku. "Do you also think Yuna wanting Squall right next to her is odd?" She spoke quietly for only the blond to hear.

"No. She just wants to show off the Gullwing's new toy. She said so before we left the Celsius." Rikku made sure to keep her voice low as well. If Squall heard her, there could be some trouble.

The party went on hiking for quite some time. It was mostly quiet and they enjoyed the scenery. The view of the ocean from the top of the rock formations was awe-inspiring.

Yuna, on the other hand, was enjoying the hike very much for other reasons. She wore a smile that never left her. She was relishing in the feeling she got from just being near Squall. He never said anything or even looked her way, but he still gave her a quivering feeling of joy. His presence gave her the reassurance of warmth and security.

As the party was finally approaching the rocky path that lead to the league headquarters, the mercenary caught sight of a hopping figure that was closing in on their location. "We've got company! Be on your guard!" He announced while reaching for the gunblade strapped to his side.

Yuna promptly grasped his arm to halt his action. "No wait! That machina doesn't pose a threat to us. It's under the control of the league, it was programmed to attack only fiends."

"Are you sure?" Squall was doubtful.

"Yes I am." Yuna pulled him to the side as the machina hopped on by them. "You see. It commonly patrols this path throughout the entire day. The league has been using them for the past few years. How could you not know about that?" He had previously mentioned he had constantly traveled all over Spira for various jobs. It made perfect sense that he, at some point, had gone thru Mushroom Rockroad.

Squall just shrugged. "Every time I pass thru here, I always take the trails that are furthest away from any of the Youth League members."

"But why?" Yuna found that peculiar. She knew he probably had a history with some of them since they were once Crusaders. However, his reason for avoiding them still needed explaining.

"LADY YUNA!" Someone's shout suddenly came out of nowhere.

Yuna gasped in surprise. She looked further down the path and spotted someone running towards her. "Gatta, is that really you!?"

Gatta wasted no time in wrapping Yuna in a short embrace. "It's so good to see you again my lady."

"Yes, it's good to see you too. I can't remember the last time I saw you." She pulled away from his embrace.

"I believe it has been almost two years now ma'am, shortly after the Vegnagun incident." Gatta then noticed the other two girls. "Lady Rikku and Lady Paine, it's a pressure to see you both."

The two girls causally waved at him, they weren't as enthused as him.

Now that greetings were taken place, Yuna happily took it upon herself to introduce her newest companion. Without delay, she pulled in Squall next to her and locked her arm around his. "Gatta, I'd like you to meet my friend Squall Leonhart. He recently started working with us as a sphere hunter."

"Any friend of Lady Yuna is a friend of my." Gatta extended his arm in offer of a friendly handshake.

Squall glanced at this other man's hand for a moment and then looked away with a grunt. He had no interest in becoming acquainted with any of Yuna's friends. He would have walked away but she was still holding him in place.

Yuna saw that Gatta was slightly offended by the rejection. "Please, don't mind him. He always acts like this when meeting new people." She tried to excuse Squall's rude behavior. She gave Gatta an apologetic smile and then looked at the man next to her with an evil gaze. "Shake his hand now or else!" Yuna murmured with vicious undertones to Squall. To show she meant business, she tightened her grasp on his left arm and even stomped his foot.

'_Or else what? What can a little girl like you possibly do to me?'_ Squall told her as much thru the sharp look he gave her out of the corner of his eye.

'_Damn you!'_ Yuna knew exactly what he was trying to say. She looked fiercely at him and could feel her blood begin to boil until a spark of light appeared in her sight. The intense eye contact between the two of them caused an electric reaction in her. For an instant, she saw sparks of energy before her very eyes and felt it run down her spine. She looked away to the ground in confusion. _'What was that!?'_

As soon as she broke the eye contact, Squall switched his gaze back to the man in front of him. _'…I suppose she did give me an order.'_ Without another thought, he finally took Gatta's hand into his own. "Sorry about that. Like the lady said, I don't deal with people very well sometimes."

Gatta forgot to pull his hand away due to his preoccupation with observing the bizarre staring contest between Yuna and Squall. He regained his composure when he felt Squall taking his hand. "It's alright sir, I understand. I was once kind of the same." He was referring to the time after the death of his mentor, Luzzu. Gatta took back his hand and shook his head to rid himself of the painful memory. "Anyway, I must say I kind of envy you sir. You not only have the honor of traveling with the world's savior, but the most beautiful lady in all of Spira as well."

Yuna instantly became embarrassed. "Please don't say such things. There's no way that could ever be true." Whatever she was pondering before was instantly forgotten.

"You are far too modest Lady Yuna. It's a fact that your beauty grows with every passing day. Only the luckiest man in the world will be able to claim you as his own." Gatta assured her. He looked at the mercenary and nodded. "Wouldn't you agree sir?"

Yuna released her grasp on Squall's arm and loosely clasped her hands together in front. She repeatedly gave him sideway glances for only spilt seconds. She was eager to hear his answer and yet frighten by it.

'_Would I be lucky to have someone like her?'_ Squall had not once considered such a thought. With every intention of giving Gatta an honest answer, he stepped away from the ex summoner and carefully scrutinized her appearance.

Once Yuna felt his penetrating gaze on her, she became very self-conscious. She had to resist the urge to adjust her outfit and fix her hair. Now she didn't dare to look at him. She locked her sight to the ground and felt herself becoming more and more nervous.

Squall was not satisfied with observing only one angle of Yuna. He needed to examine her more thoroughly. He began to gradually pace around her, closely looking at her from head to toe, at every visible part of her body. When he completely circled Yuna and returned to her side, Squall gave her one last look over before returning his attention to Gatta. "She is a nice piece of ass, but I personally can do better."

Gatta was astonished, never before had he ever heard anyone speak of the high summoner in such a manner. His cheeks even took on a light shade of red.

Yuna stupidly gaped as her face deeply flushed. _'...!?'_ She didn't know what to think or how to react. She salvaged some sense of mind when she heard the loud laughter of one of her best friends coming from behind. She looked at Squall, who was as composed as ever, and realized she didn't know how to react because of her mixed feelings. She couldn't determine whether what he said was a compliment or an insult. Even if it was a compliment, it still wasn't very nice.

"What?" Squall noticed the stare of the high summoner. He felt as if he had said nothing wrong, only the truth of his opinion.

Yuna did what came naturally to her; she became enraged. "…You. You JERK!" She shoved him hard on the chest, forcing him to tumble back a few steps. She then angrily stomped away from the guys with a flushed face and went thru the rocky path to the league headquarter.

"Excuse me, sir." Gatta, not knowing what else to do, turned and hurriedly ran after Yuna. It was his duty to safely escort the visitors.

Squall watched the retreating form of Yuna with a raised eyebrow. _'What did I do now?'_ He honestly wasn't sure what had angered her this time. Since he had just mentioned the word 'ass,' he had no control as his eyes slowly drifted down to her lower backside. His eyes locked onto the swaying action of her rear as she walked away. The motion of it seemed to enchant him somehow. Squall was brought out of his trance when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.

"Are you crazy!? She just forgave you and now you actually made her mad again." Paine was greatly agitated with the spectacle he just pulled.

"What's the problem? That Gatta guy asked for my opinion, so I gave him an honest answer." He gave her an innocent look.

Paine furrowed her brow as she gazed at him skeptically. "Then you were too honest. I hope you know that the brutal truth can hurt." Afterward, she turned to Rikku. "You better go on ahead and see if you can do some damage control."

"Alrighty." Rikku cheerfully exclaimed. She began to jog after Yuna. "That was mean of you to say, but it was still really funny." She said to Squall as she passed by him, laughing as she went along.

When the blond was out of sight, Paine focused on Squall again. "What are you going to do now?" She was referring to his next action with Yuna.

He saw this as a good opportunity to do what he had planned for the day. "I'm heading towards the Den of Woe."

"You still intent on going there, but what about the meeting?" Paine still had her reservations about him going to that deadly cavern.

"My orders are to be present at the conference with the meyvn. Until then, I am free to do as I please. The meeting was scheduled for right about now, nevertheless, it won't be held for at least another hour or two. I heard the meyvn is notorious for the long waits his guests are put thru."

She reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Nooj can't help it, he partially runs the entire league by himself. He wasn't always like that." She felt compelled to justify the meyvn's reasons.

"I'm sure you're right." He knew how much her old friend meant to her. "You should go and try to see him now. I'll catch up with you after I'm done with my training."

"Just be careful in there." Paine waved him off as he left for the cavern.

"You know I will."

-o-

Nooj succeed in living up to his reputation, he had kept the Gullwings waiting for a little over two hours so far and there was still no sign of him. Yuna sent most of that time thinking of Squall's last words to her. She had gotten over her initial shock and anger. She decided to settle on what he said was mostly a compliment. He had basically said she was a beautiful woman, in his own perverted way.

She was standing just outside of the league headquarters with Rikku and Paine not too far from her. She wanted to speak with Squall and maybe even apology for the way she reacted. Yuna scanned the area for him from where she stood, however he was nowhere in sight. She figured he was probably close by and he was just trying to stay out of her way. That kind of made her sad. _'…At least this time I didn't hit him.'_ The thought caused her lips to curve into a small smile. She continued to gaze around for him and because of which, she failed to notice two feminine figures approaching her.

"It's been a long time Lady Yuna." Lucil, 2nd in command of the Youth League, greeted the former summoner with her longtime friend and faithful comrade Elma.

"What!?" Yuna was slightly surprised by the sudden acknowledgment. When she turned, she came upon two dearly familiar faces. "Lucil, Elma, it's so good to see you guys again." She quickly embraced them both.

"Please accept my apologies for the long wait. The meyvn has been busy with the preparations for the latest battle tournament." Lucil even bowed to show her regret.

"It's perfectly alright."

"What are you doing here Lady Yuna? I thought you had quit being a sphere hunter." Elma had last seen her, a short time after the reappearance of Tidus.

Lucil nodded to show her accord. "That's right. We haven't seen you with the Gullwings every other occasion we've dealt with them in the past few years. We all thought you settled down in Besaid with Tidus."

The smile that Yuna wore faded as she was reminded of her failed love. "Yes, but I rejoined the Gullwings months ago." She spoke in a subdued voice. "There were adverse circumstances that forced me to leave Besaid." Her spirit took on a gloomy air while she slouched down with dangling arms.

"So the rumors must be true!" Elma declared.

Yuna's heart quite suddenly seemed to stop. She looked at Elma with wide eyes of an unspoken fear. "W-Wh…What rumors?"

Lucil and Elma exchanged a cautious glance. "…Well, for a while now we've been hearing gossip about you and how you broke up with Tidus. I personally have heard all sorts of reasons for it, from him having an affair with another woman to him refusing to ever take your hand in marriage." Lucil commented.

Yuna felt as if someone had stabbed her thru the heart with a dagger. _'On the contrary, it's quite the opposite.'_ She recalled the night before she left Besaid, the night Tidus actually proposed to her.

"But the commander and I knew better. We wouldn't allow ourselves to believe such things so easily." Elma contributed.

Recalling the heartache Yuna caused to her first love always brought a sharp pain to her insides. At this point she wanted to cry, although she maintained her composure. "That's good because I haven't really ended anything with Tidus." She prayed that was enough of an answer. If she went any further into that topic, she really will burst into tears.

"You see! I knew all that gossip was a bunch of bullshit." Elma cheerfully proclaimed. "It's all ridiculous, just like the latest rumor about you madly chasing after some guy across the desert of Bikanel."

Yuna laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head. "It is amazing what people will say about you when you're Spira's top celebrity. Sometimes it's a real hassle." The rumor was absolutely true but she didn't want to confirm anything.

"What are you saying Yunie?" Rikku had been listening to the last of their conversation. "That just happened a couple of days ago." Before the blond knew what happened, Yuna instantly appeared behind her and wrapped an arm around her neck to strangle her. "…What…aaare…youuu…doing!?" Rikku's choked gasps barely escaped her as she struggled to pry off the arm from her neck. Her slip of the tongue had seriously incensed Yuna.

"Rikku, my dear cousin, this isn't a subject to crack jokes about. You know my feelings towards my celebrity status." Yuna's kind words did not hide the dark undertones of her voice. "You and I both know such a thing never happened." She then adjusted her grasp and brought the other girl's ear closer and spoke into it. "Right?" The last word was a warning oozing with unspeakable peril.

Rikku felt a shudder of fear run down her spine. She hadn't felt such debilitating fear since the days thunder still scared her. She nodded as much as she was able. "…Right." No one in their right mind would dare to say otherwise.

Lucil and Elma weren't the least bit concerned with what was happening. They themselves have been known to quarry in a similar fashion. To them it was a normal occurrence in any friendship.

Rikku fell to her knees gasping for air after being released from the strangle hold. "Jeez, you sure have been…more violent ever since…Mr. Meanie joined the team." Her panting made it difficult to speak properly.

Yuna crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from the petite blond (in very much the Squall fashion). "I don't know what you're talking about." She said with a pout. It's true she had gone thru a few changes in the last couple of weeks but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. She had more confidence and had been standing up for herself. Of course, Squall was the only person she had physically assaulted until now.

"Sorry to interrupt, but did I hear correctly when she said someone else has joined you?" The thought of an additional member to the already dynamic Gullwings didn't sit well for Lucil. She respected and admired them greatly, however they were hard to deal with sometimes. Another one would only bring more trouble for her. (If only she knew how right that was)

Yuna's earlier smile returned at the chance to introduce the newest teammate. "Yes, that is right. We recently acquired a very skilled sphere hunter. In fact he was the one who found the sphere we're selling to you, all on his own no less. I must say I couldn't be happier with him." She beamed as she spoke, though she felt she might have said too much with that last part.

"Really!? I can't wait to meet him." The visible excitement of Yuna was rubbing off on Elma. "Where did you find him?"

"He sort of appeared out of nowhere, it's a long story." Yuna quickly looked around again and found Squall was still nowhere in sight. She then glanced down in front of her. "Rikku, have you seen him?"

"…No." Rikku was massaging her sore throat. "Paine was the last person to see him."

"Did someone say my name?" Paine was just returning from her causal walk around the headquarters.

"Good timing." Yuna said while running up to the stoic swordswoman. "Can you tell me where our new friend is?"

Paine suddenly became nervous. She knew Yuna's reaction to Squall's present location would not be favorable. "…Well ummm. He said he wanted to do some training before the meeting, so he went to the…" She hesitated at the last moment. She took a deep breath. "…Den of Woe!"

Yuna was horrorstricken from what she heard. She grabbed onto Paine's shoulders with wide eyes of fear. "This can't be true. Are you saying you just let him go to that place without a fuss?" Her desperation grew with each word.

"I tried at first but he assured me he would be fine. I trust him. Maybe you should to. He is more than capable of taking care of himself." Paine winced in pain as she felt the high summoner's grip tighten on her shoulder.

"Do you realize what you've done!? Don't you remember we almost killed each other? SQUALL WILL DIE IN THERE!" Yuna's scream reverberated throughout the rocky walls. She let go of Paine and dashed off at an unbelievable speed towards the cavern.

'_Squall! It can't be…'_ Lucil was visibly alerted by the name, as was Elma.

Rikku jumped to her feet, ready to run after Yuna. "Come on Paine. We shouldn't chance this." She would have normally agreed with Paine, except the Den of Woe was an exception.

"I can't believe this." Paine groaned and then ran along with Rikku to catch up with their leader.

Lucil watched the girls of the Gullwings drawing away with a frowning disapproval. _'It must be him. He always has that effect on women.'_ "I'm going with them."

"Commander, do you think it's really him?" Elma was concerned for her friend.

Lucil clenched her fists. "Do not say another word or else!" Her threats were always taken seriously. She left to confront one of the mistakes of her past.

'_This is not good. I better inform the meyvn of this development.'_ Elma hastily made her way to the main building.

-o-

Yuna waited for no one as she ducked and weaved thru pillars of rock, sprinting as fast as she could to reach her friend in peril. _'I'm almost there. I have to hurry. I have to save him. Please let me get there before it's too late.'_ She had no real plan of what to do once she got to the cavern. She intended to just run in, grab Squall, and drag him out.

The passage that led to the Den of Woe was finally in her sight. When she was about to reach it, a ray of light reflected off a metal pendant and hit her in the eyes. In the second Yuna was blinded, she ran full force into a hard body. The collision caused her to tumble backward and land on her rear. She didn't bother to look up at what she collided with because her first concern was to tend to her throbbing head. "That really hurt." She winced while cradling her head in her hands.

"What else do you expect when you don't watch where you're going?" Came the gruff voice of an annoyed mercenary.

Yuna looked up with a gasp. Her eyes of disbelief met with Squall's, as he stood tall over her with the Lionheart in hand resting on his shoulder. It appeared as if he didn't budge an inch from the impact. "Squall?"

The look she gave Squall made him a little uneasy. _'I don't like this. She is probably here to bitch about me being at the meeting.' _"Yuna, I was about to head over to the headquarters…and…" He didn't get to finish his explanation.

Yuna didn't listen to anything he said as she promptly got to her feet. She stood in front of him and began to carefully check him for any injuries. She moved his arms and jacket around and even lifted his shirt to expose his abdomen. There wasn't a single scratch on him. Once she saw there was no harm done to him, she swiftly enveloped him in a tight embrace. The sound of his strong heartbeat sent a single tear of joy streaming down her cheek as she rested her head on his chest. _'Thank goodness you're alright.'_

Squall gazed down at her with a raised eyebrow. He misread her again. He wasn't sure whether he'd ever met a more confusing woman. What she just did to him, he found to be very odd. It felt like his mother had been checking him for cuts and bruises. "…Oh. Yuna, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all. Everything is fine." Yuna released him from her arms but let her hands linger on his chest, rubbing it in circular motions. "I'm just glad you're safe." She smiled while she stared into his eyes, captivated by its piercing glamour. After a moment of blissful silence, without thinking about it, she started to slowly drift closer to him.

Squall thought she was going to hug him again, much to his annoyance.

Nothing was going thru Yuna's mind as she gradually positioned her arms around his neck, her eyes never leaving his. She was hopelessly lost in the moment. She pressed her ample bosom against his chest. She then began to stand on her toes, inching her face closer to his. When she closed her eyes and parted her lips, someone else showed up.

"Squally! There you are!" Rikku had finally arrived, shortly followed by Paine.

Quite suddenly Yuna returned to her senses with wide-opened eyes of shock, she realized her face was only a mere inch from his. So mortified, she froze in place still keeping him locked in her arms. She couldn't look away of him, even as the blush on her entire face intensified. When Yuna heard footsteps of someone approaching from behind, she swiftly took back her arms and moved away while hiding her embarrassment from everyone. _'WHAT WAS I ABOUT TO DO!?'_

As Yuna stepped away, Rikku went up to Squall to show her relief. "I'm glad to see you're still in one piece. I was worried there for a while when I heard you went to the Den of Woe." She playfully swatted him on the shoulder continually, as she spoke.

Squall gave her a narrow look. "Stop that!" He voiced his irritation when he saw no end to the constant hitting.

Rikku felt a chill of fright and promptly ceased her hand's action. "…Sorry."

He looked at her for a few seconds more, until he finally looked away to fasten the gunblade. "Is that why you three are here?"

"…Um, yeah." Rikku said once she saw it was safe to speak again. "Paine told us where you were, so we all came running here because we thought you were in danger."

"Well it appears that you've wasted your time once again." Squall said flatly.

Rikku was a little bewildered by his uncaring attitude. _'He could show some gratitude.'_ But there was no point in arguing with him about it. "Did you even go into the cave? You don't have a scratch on you."

"Of course I did. That's the whole reason why I came here." He was becoming annoyed again. _'Why do these women keep on mentioning my physical condition?'_

"Didn't you run into any trouble in there?" Paine had also thought he hadn't entered since he was unharmed.

"Just a few bothersome pyreflies." He dismissed it as if it were nothing.

Those same pyreflies, that were partially nothing to Squall, had claimed the lives of many. Most of the Crimson Squad candidates met their doom when the pyreflies within the cave possessed them body and mind. They were overwhelmed with feelings of despair and anger, causing them to go mad and turn on one another.

Paine still vividly remembered her nightmarish experience from the first time she entered the cave. The massacre she witnessed isn't something she can easily forget. For her to actually see someone like Squall, so unaffected by the pyreflies, was hard for her to believe. "Didn't they try to possess you?"

Squall shut his eyes for a moment in thought. "Yes. Something like that could have occurred. The pyreflies did try to do something to me, but whatever it was did not work. I guess they can't really do anything to you if you have enough willpower and mind control."

The girls were astonished by what they were hearing. Yuna, who was still mortified, hadn't worked up the courage to speak or even look at him yet. She just stood by and listened to everything that was said.

"However, that wasn't the strange part." Squall continued. "Afterward, they started gathering together in large numbers to form three fiends that resembled some of Spira's political leaders. I believe they were Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal."

"Those things actually appeared again!? We've encountered them as well." Rikku was somewhat infuriated by the revelation. After the pyreflies took over her body and almost claimed her life, those humanlike fiends showed up to try and do the same. What mostly angered her was one of the fiends was a copy of someone she deeply cared about.

"No matter what they were, they weren't a challenge at all. My whole expedition in the carven was a complete disappointment. I was expecting more from the infamous Den of Woe." Squall shook his head to show his dissatisfaction.

"But those fiends you're talking about are just as tough as the real ones. They even have the same skills." Paine countered.

That was news to him. "Really?! I guess I must've disposed of them too quickly to have noticed." He knew Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal were formidable warriors since his days as a Crusader and by the fact that they were candidates for the Crimson Squad.

'_Who is this guy!?'_ Rikku was stunned again along with Paine. Even Yuna was as well, enough to forget what had happened before and she stared at him.

Now that Yuna was her normal self, she decided to address her concerns with what Squall had done. Discussing what transpired within the cave was too much to handle right now. "Squall, you did it again."

He turned to her and crossed him arms. "Did what?"

Yuna sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "You went out on your own without telling me and exposed yourself to danger."

"You're wrong. I told Paine where I was headed." The mercenary contradicted.

Yuna shook her head. "No. You should have told ME."

"Wrong again. Before, you've instructed me to inform 'someone' whenever I left, not you specifically." Squall countered.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT I SAID, YOU STILL HAVE TO TELL ME!" Yuna yelled at him and stomped her foot. She was beginning to get anger.

Squall ignored her outburst. "You also said I should use the commlink in an emergence. So now I'm asking you, why didn't you use the commlink before coming here?" He argued back.

Yuna was unfortunately stumped, she had completely forgotten. "…I…I was in such a rush to get here I…I forgot to." She struggled for an answer. _'Shit!' _She just made a fool of herself in front of him once more. And to top it off, she lost another argument to him. At least this time she didn't yell at him as much.

"I see you're still as stubborn as ever. Refusing to listen to anything except the orders from your superiors." The new voice had caught everyone's attention. They turned to see Lucil giving Squall a rather hateful look.

He narrowed his eyes and returned the same look without saying a word.

Yuna felt a little out of place at the moment. She gazed back and forth between them trying to figure out what was going on. "Lucil…um…do you know Squall?"

"Regrettably, yes I do." Lucil nodded but didn't take her eyes off of him. "He is one bastard I wish I've never known."

'_Bitch.'_ Squall angrily growled while baring some of his teeth. He had had enough of this place. He began walking away from the girls to leave the area, although he still had to go thru Lucil, who was standing in the way.

"Hey wait." Yuna tried to stop him, however he didn't pay attention and kept on walking. She then turned her anger to the other woman. "Lucil, how could you say such a mean thing? He…" Before she had the chance to say more, someone had stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"We should stay out of this. This isn't any of our business." Paine could see that something had happened between those two in the past. It was best for her to stay out of it and make sure Yuna did the same. The ex summoner had a tendency of sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.

Paine was right, but Yuna didn't like it. She hated not being able to do anything as she watched her dear friend being offended. _'Why did she have to say that about him?'_ Seeing Squall upset was hard on her.

Lucil do not look back at Squall when he walked past her and kept looking straight ahead. "I will allow you to conduct whatever business you have here, but afterward I expect you to leave and never return." She spoke to him in her most strict tone.

Squall didn't spare her a glance either. "You won't hear any arguments from me." He then went on his way. He didn't get very far before someone else showed up.

"Well, if it isn't Griever: the Black Lion of Carnage." The new arrival said with a slight smirk.

'_Black lion?'_ Yuna was at a loss as to its significance and how it related to Squall.

'_Squall is __THE__ Griever!? That is not possible.'_ Paine evidently knew something about it but couldn't quite accept it as truth.

'_Why do I have to hear that stupid name again?'_ His frustration was growing with every passing moment. First it was Yuna with her hugging and shouting, then his run in with Lucil, and now this. Squall looked at the man in front of him. "If it isn't Nooj: the Deathseeker." He returned the same greeting.

"I'm pleased to see that Elma's report of your presence here wasn't an exaggeration. I have to admit, I didn't quite believe it. You're one of the last people I ever excepted to see again." Nooj, with cane in hand, walked with a slight limp to get closer to his old acquaintance.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Squall sarcastically remarked.

Nooj was glad to see he still had his wit. "After the fall of Sin, I imagined you would disappear to some small corner of the world, never to be heard from again. Like a weapon of mass destruction in this time of peace"

"You're not completely wrong. For a while, I lived a very discrete life, staying under the radar. I did the odd job here and there to earn a living. Currently, I'm under the employment of the Gullwings." Squall despised talking about himself. He would only give out that kind of information to those he could tolerate.

"Really?" Nooj found that very interesting. _'Squall never voluntarily worked with a team before.'_

Lucil's nails almost cut into her skin because of her tightly clenched fists. Her patience was wearing thin. Watching the honorable meyvn freely conversing with a treacherous scum like Squall was maddening. "Sir, I believe you have other, more pressing matters to attend to." She didn't make much of an attempt to hide the malice in her voice.

Nooj looked upon his right hand woman with a knowing eye. _'It seems Squall being here is opening up some old wounds.' _ "Yes, you're right." He then turned to the girls of the Gullwings. "Please accept my apologies for the long wait. If you'll follow me back to the base, we'll commence the meeting." There was no more time for pleasantries.

'_No, not now!'_ Yuna had just lost another opportunity to learn more about the man that was a mystery to her. She would have gladly postponed the meeting in order to hear the rest of the conversation between the two men. At any rate, she had found two individuals that can answer some of her questions. As everyone else began to wonder off, she considered what had transpired. _'Why does Lucil hate Squall? And what was that black loin name about?' _Those answers will just have to wait until later.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After much waiting, the Gullwings had at long last commenced the meeting with the meyvn of the Youth League. They all assembled inside the council chamber of the headquarters. It was a large, circular room with a high roof and located at the very center of the building. All of the attendants sat around a massive round table. Lucil and Squall were the only ones not seated, choosing to stand away from each other at the furthest ends of the room.

Throughout the meeting, Yuna would occasional take a glance at the two, each time she could almost see the heavy tension between them. The reason for their mutual loathing was a mystery to her. Well, Yuna wasn't sure whether Squall felt the way Lucil clearly did. He could have just been reacting as anyone would to someone's hatred. She contemplated on their situation so much that she could not concentrate on anything else. Every time she glanced at Squall to try and figure out something, she found nothing and became slightly sadden. When she looked at Lucil, she would narrow her eyes. Yuna was upset with Lucil because of the way she was acting towards Squall. Even with the high summoner's lack of attention and the serious tension, the conference progressed smoothly. Rikku and Nooj did most of the talking.

"I'm glad everything worked out. We were too late in realizing that the league could not afford to pay the full amount we agreed upon. Thankfully, the Al Bhed Machine Faction offered to pay the difference for shared ownership. The sphere is of great historic significance to the both of us." The meyvn signaled one of his guards, who then placed a small wooden chest on the table in front of Rikku. "This payment should complete our transaction. Feel free to count it."

Rikku struggled to lift the chest to test its weight. It was small but still quite heavy. "There's no need for that. It feels like the right amount. And besides, we trust you." All that was left to do was to hand over the sphere. She turned to her cousin in the next sit, whom appeared to be lost in thought. "Yunie, the sphere." The blond whispered.

"…What?" Yuna looked at the blond thief and quickly remembered where she was. "OH, I'm sorry." She pulled out the sphere from her pouch and handed it to a guard.

"That concludes our business." Nooj leaned back and relaxed into his chair. There was no more need to attentively sit straight since the important matters were done with. "Will you be staying for the battle tournament?"

"I know I will be." Rikku excitedly jumped her sit. "What about you guys?" She asked her two female companions.

"Not this time." Yuna declined. She had other things in mind.

"I don't know. Maybe I will." Paine was not in the mood for a fight just now either.

"Unbelievable. You can't expect me to fight on my own. Unless…" Rikku was struck with inspiration. She twisted around behind her. "Squally! You will fight with me in this competition. With you, I'm sure we can win."

An angry Lucil suddenly slammed a fist hard upon the table. The loud bang made almost everyone in the room jump with fright. "There is no way in hell, I would ever allow him to participate in the tournament!"

The girls were a little astonished from her uproar. "…That doesn't seem fair." Rikku cautiously objected.

"I'm sorry. But I must agree with Lucil. Squall cannot participate." Nooj ordered as the meyvn.

"But if we're allowed, why not him?" Paine questioned. This was all seemed ludicrous.

"BECAUSE IT WILL BE A MASSACRE! HE IS FAR TOO DANGEROUS!" Lucil yelled in her rage while slamming both her fists on the table.

"…!?" The girls didn't know what to think.

"Whatever your reasons are, I don't give a damn." Squall had had enough of listening to everyone talk about him as if he wasn't there. "I'm not interested in anything that has to do with this place." He looked directly into Lucil's eyes. "And that includes everyone in it."

Lucil's angry expression faltered and became one of hurt and sadness.

Squall was tired and wanted to leave. He marched over to the table and grabbed the chest. "Yuna. I'm returning to the Celsius to secure the gil."

Yuna could tell he was just using that as an excuse to get out of there. "I understand, go ahead." As he looked away, a small smile formed on her face. _'__This time h__e actually came to me and told me what he was going to do.'_

"Hey wait. How will I know you won't just run away with all that gil?" Rikku asked in jest.

"I will if you keep asking me stupid questions." He then left for the nearest exit.

"Rikku, this is no time for any of your jokes." Yuna reprimanded.

"Yeah. You know as well as I do he isn't that kind of guy." Paine never liked the blond's sense of humor.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten the dark mood in here." Rikku sank in sit, from the failure of her good intentions.

Lucil grew frustrated with the Gullwing's antics. They didn't seem to take anything she said seriously. Enough was enough. "Sir. With your permission, I believe I am needed elsewhere." Her voice lacked its usual strength.

Nooj looked closely at her. _'I haven't seen her like this since the last time she dealt with Squall.'_ It was understandable why she needed to leave. He gave her a quick nod.

Lucil slowly walked out of the chamber with a downcast head. _'I can't believe he can still affect me like this even after all this time. I thought I was over it. I'm so disappointed with myself.'_

Yuna noticed Lucil's depressed state as she left. _'What happened to her?_' Even though Yuna was not too happy with her at the moment, she still felt sympathy for her. Then, staying true to her nature, Yuna decided to pry into someone else's business. She stood up and walked over to Nooj, who sat at the opposite end of the table.

When Rikku and Paine noticed their leader had taken a seat next to the meyvn, they instinctively knew she was about to poke her nose where it didn't belong. They quickly followed suit and moved to the seats next to her. They might have to act as a buffer.

"Is there something the matter Lady Yuna?" Nooj found it curious that she had suddenly sat next to him.

"I just wanted to know if there is something wrong with Lucil. She seemed depressed as she left." Yuna showed him her sincere concern in her tone of voice. Of course, she did have ulterior motives.

"Is that all?" The meyvn began to laugh. He had thought it would have been something more serious. "I'm sure you must have noticed she doesn't think too highly of our mutual friend. Lucil always gets upset whenever he's around."

"Why is that?"

"Lucil and Squall simply don't get along." Nooj answered.

"I can see that, but something must have happened between them in the past." Yuna argued back.

"Yes. There once was a time when the two of them did get along. However, that was a long time ago and it won't do anyone any good to go digging into the past."

"Please, you must tell me what happened. She is my friend and I want to know what is troubling her." That was just a cover to extract more information about Squall. It seemed that was her new ambition in life. It's fair to say that nothing is impossible for Yuna when she sets out to accomplish her goals; it's as if the guiding forces of fate bend the world in her favor. First it was to rid Spira of Sin, then to find Tidus, and now to gain knowledge of the man named Squall Leonhart (Griever: the Black Lion of Carnage).

By the look of determination in her eyes, Nooj could tell she will not give up. He shut his eyes for a second and heaved a sigh. He then faced the three guards in the room. "Leave us and secure the doors from the outside." With a quick salute the guards exited thru the doors.

Yuna was a little puzzled by this. "Why did you send them away?"

"Because what I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. It's not top-secret information, but I want to avoid any scandals that might arise in respect to Lucil." Nooj knew that any news concerning the 2nd in command would spread like wildfire throughout the league, especially what he was about to reveal. That would just cause her unnecessary trouble.

"I didn't realize it was this important, but you can trust me and the girls with whatever you say." Yuna was now more eager to hear what he had to disclose.

Rikku and Paine couldn't help becoming intrigued as well. They leaned in closer and sat on the edge of their seats.

"Lucil will kill me if she found out I told you this, but…Squall and her used to be 'involved'." He hesitated in saying the last part.

"…Involved in what?" Yuna had a fair idea of what he meant but couldn't quite say it herself.

'_It appears I'll have to be blunt.'_ Nooj gave her a more concentrated look. "Lucil and Squall used to be lovers!"

"What!?" Her face tuned crimson.

"Wow! That sure explains a lot." Rikku was referring to Lucil's harsh treatment of Squall.

"It sure does." Paine agreed with her blond friend.

"What happened?" The ex summoner wanted to know the reason for their breakup.

Nooj shook he head. "I'm sorry Lady Yuna. It's not my place for me to say. Only Lucil or Squall himself can tell you about that. All I can say is that they stopped seeing each other around the time of Operation Mi`ihen." He emphasized the last part as if the operation was somehow important.

"I understand." Yuna nodded and then moved her gaze down to the surface of the table. She was slowly digesting what she just learned. _'Squall and Lucil…lovers?'_ She didn't understand why, but the idea of him having intimate partners bothered her.

Paine saw this as a good time as any to inquire on what had been weighing on her thoughts. "Nooj, how long have you known Squall? I'm still sort of astounded that you know each other. He has never mentioned you to me."

The meyvn perked up a little, happy with the slight change in topic. "I'm not surprised at all. He never was one to share anything about himself. I've known him since my early days as a Crusader. We're not close friends or anything like that. I've just worked with him on a few occasions over the years."

"I suppose I should have expected that. Every time I've tried asking him about his friends and family, he always dodges the subject." Paine found it strange since Squall was always open and honest with her about everything else.

'_What!?'_ Yuna's gaze quickly fell upon Paine, shocked by what she just discovered. _'She doesn't know about his parents being dead?'_ It seemed as if Paine and Squall were not as close as she had originally thought. As the realization of it set in, a faint smile formed on her lips. _'I know something about Squall that not even she knows about.'_ She liked the small feeling of superiority she got from this.

"By the way, why did you call him Griever earlier? Was that some kind of inside joke between the two of you?" That had also been bothering Paine.

Nooj shook his head to disagree. "That was no joke, he really is _thy_ Griever."

"There's no way! I thought it was just a myth." Paine was having a hard time accepting what her old friend had said.

"Just wait a minute. Please explain what you two are talking about. What is this Griever thing?" Yuna had lost track of the conversation the moment it was brought up.

Nooj nodded in understanding. "It's not surprising that you don't know. Very few people these days have ever heard of the legend. You see, Griever was a mythical beast that was supposed to have existed thousands of years ago, before there was even Sin. It was all-powerful and left a path of carnage wherever it went. Griever was said to resemble a monstrous black lion with a white mane around its neck. Hence the name Griever: the Black Lion of Carnage."

"Really!?" Yuna was finding this very interesting. "Paine, did you know about this?"

"Of course I did. The legend of Griever was popular amongst the Crusaders. However, I always dismissed it and the stories of a man with the same name as nothing more than fairy tales. The men, wanting to believe in something for hope, would make up stories or in this case, exaggerate the exploits of one single Crusader." Paine then turned to the meyvn. "How does the legend connect to Squall and the tales of a man that was allegedly able to drive Sin away on his own?"

The meyvn gestured Paine with a hand to relax. "Hold on there. You're moving too far ahead. I'm still not finished explaining this to Lady Yuna." He focused again on Yuna. "As Paine just pointed out, many of the Crusaders needed a reason or faith in some belief to fight on. It was because of that the exploits of one individual man became renowned throughout the entire military organization. This man was rumored to have the strength to battle Sin on an equal level. Since no one knew who exactly he was, many questioned his existence, which lead to him becoming somewhat of a myth. The brief descriptions of him brought back the long forgotten legend of Griever. So that is what everyone called the man of myth."

"Amazing! I wish I'd known about this sooner." Yuna was thoroughly impressed.

"Good. Now that she is caught up, I can now answer you Paine. Squall is obviously Griever if you think about. The description of the mysterious Crusader did match that of the mythical beast, right? He wore an outfit mostly black in color like the beast. White fur trimmed along the collar of the jacket he used to wear, similar to the beast's white mane. And finally, the carnage left in his wake, just as the beast of legend. Let's not forget the great power shared by the two. All of which fit our friend, Squall." Nooj was glad to be done with the explanation.

Yuna thought back to the bloody massacre of fiends the day she first met Squall, then to when she found him in the desert with Zu corpses littered throughout the ground. "The part about carnage is absolutely true, but I'm not too sure about the power part." She found it a bit of an embellishment that a human could match the power of Sin.

Paine thought back to her sparring match with him. No matter what she tried, she could not topple him. Every time their blades connected, she sensed there was much untapped strength within him. _'There is no denying it now, it really is him.'_ "Nooj, in all the time we've known each other, how come you've never once mentioned you personally knew the legendary Griever?"

"Because…" The meyvn's demeanor suddenly became somewhat grim. "…he is the reason I only lost my left arm and leg to Sin. The reason I now have machina prosthetics to replace them. I despised him for it. I felt as if I should have died."

"I see." Paine understood Nooj's logic. As a consequence of his prosthetic extremities, Nooj believed himself to be an incomplete human and intended to correct the mistake of preserving his life. The search for his demise earned him the name Deathseeker.

"Squall saved your life and that's the way you thank him!? What kind of bullshit is that?" Yuna expressed her strong disapproval by banging her hands on the table while promptly standing. "I've heard enough. I'm leaving now." She headed towards the nearest exit.

Nooj found Yuna's reaction quite amusing and smiled broadly in response. _'I see Squall still has that effect on women.'_ "Just a moment Lady Yuna."

Yuna was about to shut the door behind her. "What? Did you just remember something else you're unjustly blaming him for?" She didn't look back.

Her nasty remark didn't faze the meyvn. "I realize it was wrong of me to blame him for my misfortune. I believed I should have died but he prevented that. Since then I've found new meaning in my life and no longer seek my demise. Today, I am grateful for what he has done and regard him with the highest esteem."

The former summoner deliberated what he said for a moment. "I glad to hear that." She then shut the door and went on her way.

Nooj turned to his old friend. "Will she be alright?"

Paine just nodded yes. She was thinking about something else.

"Don't worry about her. She always gets a little emotional when people she cares about are concerned." Rikku answered instead.

"Nooj?" Paine wanted to clarify something. "I now accept that Squall is the Griever I've heard so much about in the Crusaders, but don't you think some of the rumors about him were a little exaggerated? I know he's very strong, however, do you really believe that he was able to match Sin in terms of power?"

Nooj kept a small smirk as he considered how to respond. "I'll say this much, any legend, myth, or tale is always based on a grain of truth."

-o-

'_What happened between Squall and Lucil?'_ The thought kept repeating itself in Yuna's mind. She had just left the main building in search of Lucil. Yuna had no reason to be upset with her any longer since she learned of their past relationship. Lucil probably had good justification for her hatred of Squall. The high summoner did have personal experience with how difficult he can be.

It was imperative for Yuna to find the 2nd in command and talk to her about Squall. The league members Yuna encountered didn't know where the commander was either, although they did point her in the direction of Elma. If anyone knew where Lucil was, it would be her best friend.

Yuna finally located Elma in font of some large rocks near the edge of a cliff at the far end of the base. As she got closer, she noticed Elma was down in the dumps. "Elma, what's wrong?"

Elma looked up suddenly, surprised by the unexpected visitor. "Oh! Lady Yuna, I thought you had left already."

"I'm still not leaving for a while. But please tell me, why do you look so sad?" Yuna gazed at the other woman with sincere eyes of concern.

Elma sighed miserably and looked down at the ground. "I'm just worried about the commander. Right now, she is very depressed and I feel useless because I can't do anything for her. She is rarely ever like this, the last time was quite a while ago." She made sure not to go into too many details, for her friend's sake.

"I am sorry to hear that. But you shouldn't say you're useless, no one ever is. I'm sure you can help Lucil by just being there for her and showing her how much you care." Yuna could never resist the urge to help a person in need, even if it's just giving a few words of encouragement.

Such simple words, yet when coming from a person like the high summoner, they held a large impact (such is the power of Yuna).

Elma gazed at Yuna with a smile. "Thank you for such kind words. I don't know why, but I'm actually feeling better."

Yuna was happy to hear that. "That's good. Why don't you go to Lucil right now and give her your support?"

Elma shook her head in regret. "I still can't. What she is going thru is a matter of the heart. That is not something that can be resolved with the consoling of others. Only she can help herself."

It was now Yuna's turn to sigh miserably. "…I'm sorry to admit that you're right. I too share her pain when it comes to relationship problems."

Elma suddenly realized something. "You know, don't you!?"

Yuna was caught off guard by the direct question. She slowly took a step back. "Know what?" She had an idea but didn't want to say it.

"That the commander and Squall were once…" Elma did not want to finish the sentence.

"…Lovers?" Yuna carefully answered with pink cheeks.

'_She does know!'_ Elma rested her face in the palm of her hand. "The commander is going to be humiliated when she hears of this." As Elma was starting to feel remorse for her commander, she was struck with an epiphany. She looked closely at the other woman and came to realize that the high summoner's presence was a blessing in disguise. "Lady Yuna, you must do me a favor and go to the commander in my place. If anyone else can help her, it's most definitely you." She did not even wait for a response as she grabbed Yuna by the shoulders and turned her around to forcibly lead her to Lucil.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Yuna tried to pry herself out of the tight grip, however Elma's determination to help her friend was stronger.

"Please my lady. She is just on the other side of these boulders overlooking the sea. You must help her." Elma pleaded.

'_I did want to talk to her.'_ "Alright. But I should go to her on my own."

"Yes, you're right." Elma then released the high summoner. "I'll be right here if you need me."

Yuna nodded and then began to walk around the pile of large rocks. It wasn't long before she finally found Lucil staring out into the horizon, seeming to be lost in thought. She wasn't sure of how she should approach her. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem for very long.

"Hello again Lady Yuna." Lucil had noticed the former summoner as soon as she came into sight.

Yuna hesitated for a moment. "…Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." She walked up to the commander and stood alongside of the ledge as well. "I was worried when I saw you leave the meeting."

Lucil gave Yuna a sideways glance. "Let's not play games, you're here to ask about Squall." Direct as always.

Yuna was dismayed. "…Um, maybe." There was no point in denying it.

A smile came to Lucil's face. "Somehow, I knew you would come asking about him. Before today, did you know he and I were previously involved?"

"No, it came as a complete surprise."

"He never did talk about himself. In fact, he never talked much at all. This is probably why he became such a legend amongst the Crusaders. I'm assuming you already know about that too."

Yuna wasn't certain on how to answer. Nooj had instructed her not to say anything. "Well…yes. I heard about it from Paine." It was not a total lie. "But how did he get a status like that if he always kept to himself?"

"It's rather simple, no one noticed him personally but everyone sure did notice the amazing things he did." Lucil smiled again as she remembered those times. "Squall is a master at maintaining a low profile. Most would tend to think otherwise since he seems to standout so much. He might have been noticed more than others, except he made sure that didn't happen. After the successful completion of a mission, he would quickly slip away and disappear. He would also move far ahead of everyone else on a mission to finish the job by himself and be long gone before anyone else could show up. And when there was a group exercise he would only perform as well as anyone else. Since very few people have ever witnessed his accomplishments, rumors of the mysterious Griever like soldier kept on spreading."

'_That would be a useful skill for me.' _Yuna thought of her bothersome celebrity status. She made a mental note to have Squall teach her that. "If he was like that, then how did you discern him from everyone else?"

"As a leader, it was my responsibility to look after every single person under my command. Sometimes I would be in charge a squadron of feet soldiers in addition to the Chocobo Knights. That was how I first came across Squall."

"Did he automatically stick out to you?" Yuna kept thinking that someone as handsome as him was hard not to notice.

"Not initially. I was kind of aware of him at first because he was the only one that was always alone." Lucil found that side of him to be tragically alluring. "What really brought Squall to my attention was the fact that every time I assigned small teams for special assignments, the one he was in always came back in the shortest time and with no causalities. That was when I started to recognize his exceptional abilities."

"But then…" Yuna was hesitant with her next question. "…how did the two of you get together?"

Lucil took a deep breath. "I'm not really sure. Squall was taciturn, moody and withdrawn, and harshly pushed away those who attempted to get close to him. Yet, I found myself being incredibly drawn to him. Every time I was in charge of an operation outside of the Chocobo Knights, I made it certain he was directly under my command." She then began to laugh uncontrollably. "…I even went as far as to make sure I was the only woman involved in the operation. Although, I sometimes did let Elma participate as well. I was so naïve back then."

"So you still felt drawn to him even when he treated you as harshly as he did everyone else?"

"Um…I guess so." Lucil scratched the back of her head, feeling a little disconcerted. "But don't get me wrong, Squall does have his good points. Everyone that had ever worked with him regarded him as difficult to deal with but greatly respected his loyalty, courage, and intelligence. The few that recognized his true abilities as I did, always requested to be teamed up with him because no one would ever die around him."

"I can sympathize with how they must have felt. Squall has been with me for a few months now and has been a major pain in the ass for most of that time." Yuna remembered with dread all the separate incidents of humiliation since he first set foot in her life. "And he never listens to anything I have to say."

"My Lady, you have to understand the way he operates. He is a strict follower of orders, duty, and rules in order to complete his missions. The sooner you accept that, the sooner it will be easier to deal with him."

"I am slowly beginning to realize that." Yuna wished it wasn't such a hassle to simply interact with him.

"It took me a while to get used to Squall and his ill-mannered behavior. I thought it was worth it back then. As time went on, my attraction to him grew. I also gradually realized that although he tries to maintain a cold, antisocial attitude, he is actually a natural leader, and can be extremely rash and impulsive when his emotions overwhelm his control."

Yuna then noticed something odd as the other woman stared out into the distance. _'Is that a twinkle in her eye?'_

"It was magical the way he inspired everyone to fight by being the first to charge out into battle. Even the most fear stricken men found the courage to fight just from watching him." Lucil wiped away some moisture that escaped her eye.

Yuna nodded in silent agreement. _'Yes. There is something miraculous about Squall when in battle. Although, I kind of get the same impression even when he is not fighting.'_

"But what really struck me were his mysterious eyes. They were always far reaching, staring only at things in the distance, never at anything close by. Not even me who stood right in front of him." There were small traces of hurt in Lucil's voice.

Yuna looked closer at the commander thinking she was about to break down sobbing. "…Lucil?" Yuna was about to place a hand on her shoulder until she resumed speaking.

"Anyway." Lucil took a deep breath to calm herself. "I was obviously attracted to him for a number of reasons. However, it still took quite a bit of effort on my part just to warm up to him or in his words, until he could tolerate my presence." _'That asshole! What was I thinking back then?'_ She always kicked herself every time she thought about it.

'_That asshole!'_ The high summoner was reminded of her own similar experiences with Squall.

"After spending so much time around him on and off the battlefield, I decided I wanted, no needed, something more than just the professional relationship we've shared up to that point. One night, I went to him and after much convincing, he finally took me to his bed."

Yuna stopped breathing and stared wide eyed at Lucil, not believing she could say that so causally. Up until now, Yuna had been hoping that Lucil and Squall were lovers in the sense that they only shared a loving feeling for each other and nothing physical. When her cheeks began to blush, she struggled to swallow the large lump in her throat.

"That was my first everything with Squall. The first time I felt his kiss, the warmth of his body, and the first time I became one with him. Before we really did anything, he warned me that he didn't and probably won't have any special feelings for me. I accepted it without any hesitation, having him as a lover was more than enough for me." Lucil suddenly smirked. "Lady Yuna, you might not believe me when I say this, but that man is absolutely incredible in the sack. There were a few times he caused me to blackout in the middle of bringing me to new levels of pure ecstasy. There were even times I had trouble walking straight afterwards."

'…_!?'_ Yuna's entire face flushed deeply as her body temperature skyrocketed. She wiped off some sweat from her brow, finding it strange she was suddenly panting. Hearing someone talk like that was more than she was accustomed to. The images in her head made matters worse. _'That was way more information than I wanted.' _ Yuna then noticed there was something not right with Lucil.

Lucil wore a cheerful smirk, yet at the same time her eyes reflected something completely different. They were sorrowful eyes brimming with unshed tears.

'_What does this mean?'_ Yuna couldn't place it at first, what she was seeing was somehow familiar. And then it came to her. "You were in love with him, weren't you?" She figured it out since she had also gone thru the same anguish.

Lucil quickly glanced at the high summoner before completely turning her back to her. She wiped away whatever moisture had built up in her eyes. She would not allow herself to cry over someone she despised. "Yes. But that all changed after Operation Mi`ihen."

Finally, this was what Yuna had been waiting for. "What happened?"

"That selfish bastard cost the lives of countless Crusaders!" Lucil spited out.

"WH-What!? That can't be true!" Yuna was horrified by what she heard. _'That's impossible.'_ There was no way she could believe Squall could do such a thing.

"He refused to participate in the operation. Since it was extremely risky, it was purely voluntary. Because of that no one could order him to take part in it." Lucil clenched her fists as her anger returned to her.

Yuna was now feeling more confused than anything else. "I don't quite understand. Are you saying people died just because Squall didn't participate in Operation Mi`ihen?"

"YES!" The commander shouted while turning to face Yuna. "Every single Crusader, except for him, wholeheartedly volunteered knowing what was at stake. Out of all the days he could have chosen to be selfish and stubborn, he had to choose that day. He said he didn't want to be involved with anything the leaders of Yevon played a part in and that they were just using the Crusaders for their own purposes. He also said the campaign would fail. He was ultimately right, but that still did not justify his selfishness that cost many their lives. If he was there, Sin still would have probably gotten away but at least he could've prevented the deaths of so many."

"Lucil, do you really believe Squall would have made that much of a difference? I know he is an exceptional warrior but he is still only one man."

Lucil's angry face became slightly puzzled. "…You still haven't seen what he is truly capable of, have you?" Yuna's look of confusion answered her question. "Well, let me inform you that all those rumors about him are well founded. He really has fought Sin on his own and left it with no choice but to retreat on a few occasions. Trust me, I've seen him do it. We had to redraw the map after each of their battles because of the massive destruction they left behind."

Yuna was at a loss for words. She knew Lucil would not lie about something like that, so it must be true!

Luicl sighed miserably. Her anger won't get her anywhere. "Don't worry. If you stick around him long enough, he will eventually encounter a situation which will force him to use his true power." She then let out a dry laugh and looked away towards the horizon again. "You know, I used to watch sunsets or some other distant scenery with him all the time, like right now. At first I thought he did this as a way to relax, then I gradually began to realize that maybe he did this in search of something. I always figured it was for Sin, but he also could have been looking for someone important to him. I was never really sure. It's been a while since I've done this."

"…Will you ever be able to forgive him?" Yuna couldn't think of anything else to ask.

"Never." The commander answered without hesitation.

"I see." Yuna sadly looked at the ground. She gave up. There was nothing she could say or do to redeem Squall's character in the commander's eyes. She wasn't even sure why she wanted to try. Even after hearing what Lucil had said about him, she still thought of him as a good person, worth believing in.

With nothing else to say, the two fell into an uncomfortable silence. They stayed that way for a few minutes until Lucil finally spoke up again. "…Thank you."

Yuna looked up again at the unexpected remark. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Lucil turned to Yuna again. "Thank you for listening to everything I had to say. All these things have been eating me up inside for a long time, especially now after seeing him again. It feels nice to just let it all out." She felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her heart, demonstrating it with an easygoing smile.

"Well ummm…you're welcome, I guess?" Receiving someone's gratitude always made the former summoner a little nervous.

"It's strange, I've never spoken of this so freely with anyone before, not even Elma."

"Really? I often do get that kind of reaction. I'm not sure why though." Another one of Yuna's cursed gifts.

"If it had to happen with someone, I'm glad it was with you." The high summoner never failed to live up to Lucil's high expectations. When Yuna was not saving the world, she was saving the individual soul.

"Please excuse my intrusion." Elma suddenly showed up. "Commander, I have to inform you that it's getting late and the battle tournament cannot commence without its coordinator and main event."

"Oh, that's right." Lucil hit her head. "I was so caught up in my own troubles that I forgot all about it. I'm terribly sorry Lady Yuna, but as you can see I have duties to attend to."

Yuna waved her hands in front. "Don't worry about it. It's perfectly fine."

"Will you be staying for the tournament?" Asked Elma.

Yuna shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not." She then unintentionally put on a meaningful smirk. "…I have 'certain' duties to attend to as well." She began to walk away as she waved goodbye. "Maybe I'll compete in it the next time I come by."

"Just one more thing." Lucil suddenly called out.

Yuna stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"You should always be cautious around Squall. Only pain will await those who are with him. Don't let yourself fall for him." Warned the commander.

Yuna was at a loss from the cryptic message. "…Okay?" Not quite sure with what it meant, she went on her way.

Lucil and Elma continued watching her until there was only a faint silhouette of her figure. "Did you notice it too?"

Elma sadly looked away from the small traces of the high summoner. "…I'm afraid so. She has that same look in her eyes you once did. It's already too late for her. All we can do now is pray for her."

Lucil remained silent until there was nothing left to see of the high summoner. "We might not have to pray for her, I still have faith in her. Lady Yuna has already done the impossible a few times before, maybe she'll be able to do it again and tame the black lion."

-o-

"THE TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" Rikku loudly cheered while jumping up and down. "I'LL FINALLY GET TO KICK SOME ASS!"

"You're acting like a kid." Paine stared at the shorter blond with discontent.

Rikku stopped and happily gazed at her friend. "Am I? Then how many respect points is this costing me?" Rikku playful questioned.

Paine held out some of her fingers to answer. "Three."

"Right now, I DON'T CARE!" Rikku continued to jump. "I'm too happy now. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to see some action. I'm the only one that hasn't seen any action in months. Even my pathetic excuse for a brother has been in a battle more recently than I have."

"You mean the day he fainted because of the fiend that was charging at him?" Paine managed to hold in her laughter, however failed to prevent the curve of her lips.

"Yes. That still counts as a battle." Shortly afterward, Rikku suddenly got a bad feeling. Her woman's intuition was telling her something terrible was about to occur. She turned around and knew what was about to happen as soon as she spotted her cousin.

It was at that moment that Yuna finally showed up. "Hey guys. I'm finished with everything here, so let's get going."

"Fine." Paine casually agreed.

"NO." Rikku quickly shouted. "The tournament is about to begin and I want to be in it."

"I'm sorry Rikku but I have to hurry back to the Celsius. There is something I must do. You can be in the next one." Leaving no room for any arguments, Yuna began walking away.

"No. Yunie, please wait just a second." Rikku's plea fell on deaf ears.

Paine swiftly snatched the blond's arm and dragged her along. "Time to go."

"No wait." Rikku tried to pull away and even digging her heels into the ground, however her resistance had no effect. The strength of the thief girl could not match the strength of the warrior girl.

"You know how things work here. Wherever Yuna goes, we go." Paine gazed over her shoulder at the girl that could cry at any moment. _'Pathetic. Minus two more respect points.'_

"NOOO! I DON'T WANT TO GO!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

When the girls returned to the airship, they first went up to the bridge to report to the others as they usually do after a mission. "Is Squall here?" Were the first words to leave Yuna's mouth.

Buddy turned around from his console. "If you mean somewhere in the airship then yes."

She was happy to hear that. "Good, then he made it back safely."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Buddy sounded skeptical.

"What do you mean?" Yuna was now a little worried.

"Well. He marched in here carrying a chest, dropped it at my feet, and left without saying a word. He seemed to be in quite the foul mood." Buddy scratched his nose as he recalled this. He almost admitted he didn't say anything either because he was intimidated by Squall's intense look.

"That's to be expected after what Squall just went thru. He had an unpleasant run in with an old flame. So I would advise anyone to leave him alone for the time being and let him cool off." Paine appeared to be the only one able to read his feelings and maybe even his thoughts.

'_That's right! He must still be upset over the mean things Lucil said to him. I should go see him.'_ It's obvious Yuna had no intention of taking Paine's advice. She was already planning on speaking to him anyway.

"I wasn't planning on seeing Mr. Moody anyhow. So where is the chest he brought?" Rikku couldn't wait to get her hands on all that gil. Buddy and Rikku were normally the ones responsible for the Gullwing's finances.

"Over there." Buddy pointed to a far corner with a sigh.

In the corner, Brother was greedily raffling thru all the of gil on the chest. "E vehymmo red dra zylgbud." (I finally hit the jackpot).

"Damn it!" Rikku knew she would have to fight with Brother to get him to fork over the gil. "Get your filthy hands away from that chest and all its contents!" She loudly demanded as she marched to him.

"No. I'm the leader so I don't have to." Brother clung to the chest as a child would to his favorite toy.

While the battle between brother and sister began, Yuna took the opportunity and silently made her way to Shinra, taking a few steps back at a time when no one was looking her way. When she finally got to him, she leaned over from behind the chair and whispered in his ear. "Can you please tell me where Squall is right now?"

Shinra understood her urgency and didn't say a word. His fingers moved dexterously over some buttons and a graphical display of the ship's deck came up on the monitor. In the center of the display was a dot indicating Squall's present location.

"Thank you." Yuna gave Shinra a quick hug before leaving the bridge.

Paine watched her leaving with a knowing eye. _'She never listens, does she?'_ She chuckled and hoped the true leader knew what she was doing.

As Yuna rode up in the elevator, she couldn't help contemplating the latest revelations over the enigma that is Squall Leonhart. _'I still find it hard to believe Squall and Lucil were actually once lovers. I can't wait to hear what he'll say about it when I ask him…if he'll say anything.'_ She heavily sighed when she realized it wasn't that simple, Squall rarely said anything about himself to anyone, except for maybe Paine. _'The only thing I'm sure of is that everything I've learned about him today, has shown me how little I actually know about him. There are some sides of him I still have yet to see. Like how Lucil said he let people die in the operation. Is there really a side of him that doesn't care for human life?'_

With those last dark thoughts, Yuna stepped off the elevator at the deck level. She was now having doubts about talking to Squall. Asking him about such things might be too sensitive an issue and could cause him to react in a way she can't handle. Her nervousness grew with each step she took to the deck door. She stopped just before the entrance would automatically open, she didn't know what to do. _'I have to do this!'_ She made up her mind to go thru with it. With her drive in place, she took a confident step forward which then caused the deck door to slowly rise.

Yuna didn't look out until the door had completely open. When she gazed at the outside world, she found Squall standing tall with his arms crossed, staring at the scenery. He stood perfectly still, without even twitching a muscle. To her, he resembled one of the statues of the previous high summoners like her father, conveying a majestic beauty, an everlasting transcendence or divinity. She marveled at the sight before her.

At a light pace, she crossed her arms behind her and moved towards the sculpture like mercenary while still admiring the sight of him. She stopped when she was at his side. Since no one spoke, a gentle silence fell between the two. The only sound that could be heard was the constant flapping of Yuna's leg sash as it gracefully danced with the wind, as well as her long braided hair.

"What do you want?" Squall asked in a low growl. He had finally had enough of Yuna's never ending gawking. He didn't bother looking at her.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask you about something." She replied with a smile.

"Then ask your damn question and leave. I want to be left alone." It's safe to say he was not happy with her being there.

"Today I learned some interesting things about you." His attitude didn't affect Yuna in the least as she cheerfully spoke. "Like how you apparently have a prestigious title like I do. Griever the Black Lion of Carnage, it sounds quite impressive. And how you earned that name by fighting Sin all by yourself. What do you have to say about it?"

"Shit!" Squall rested his left hand on his hip while the other pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a sudden headache. _'Do I really have to go thru this bullshit again?'_ He wished that name and all the old stories about him had died with the military organization of the Crusaders. It seemed he couldn't totally escape it. Wherever he went, silent rumors about him always seemed to follow. Now that Yuna knows about it, he knew she would keep it alive and constantly remind him of it. "I have nothing to say Ms. High Summoner Yuna of the Eternal Calm."

Yuna saw that was a deliberate shot at her; she wasn't thrilled about that name either. However, she decided to ignore it. "Come on Squall, please tell me. I just want to know more about you. I want you to tell me of your own freewill. I don't want to make it an order. Please…" She clasped her hands together in front of her. "…pretty please."

Squall glanced at her from the corner of his eye with a serious scowl. "…Fine." He knew very well not to underestimate her resolve. She would most definitely stick to him until he finally cracked, so why fight? "But what else I can say, you've already said just about everything there is. Yes, I've battled against Sin on my own a few times and some of the other Crusaders started calling me Griever because of it. Because of those rumors I had to get rid of my old jacket. Its collar was trimmed in white fur like the white mane of the black loin…I really did like that jacket." He seemed slightly depressed recalling his old accessory.

It was exciting to finally hear the origin of Squall's legendary status directly from him, except his short answer left Yuna dissatisfied. There had to be more to the story than why he had to give up his old jacket. She stumped her foot in frustration. "Oh, come on! Surely there must be more to it. Like, why did you fight Sin by yourself without anyone else to help and how in the world were you able to do that?"

Squall glared at her as if trying to decide what to do. _'This is one tough bitch to please.'_ Since he already made up his mind to tell her what she wants to hear, he calmly let go of his irritation. To bear with the situation more easily, he made himself more comfortable by taking a seat on the edge of the deck and let his feet dangle in midair. "To answer you, I'll have to start from the beginning."

Yuna soon followed suit and sat down next to him in the same fashion. "Please go on."

Squall stared straight ahead. "I already told you that I lost my family, but I didn't tell you how. It happened while we were aboard a ferry on our way home to Luca. We were on the deck enjoying the ocean breeze when suddenly Sin emerged from beneath the water and attacked the ferry. I lost everything precious to me minutes later. I drifted along the ocean currents for several days on a piece of driftwood until I finally washed up on a beach."

"My goodness!" Yuna covered her mouth with a hand. "How did you ever survive?"

"I don't know. I was in and out of consciousness thru the whole ordeal. Maybe I just wasn't meant to die there." A higher power probably did aid Squall, there just isn't any other way he could have survived that ordeal. Unlike the extraordinary warrior he is today, he was just an average kid back then. Now he could swim from Kilika to Luca if he wanted to.

"Fate must have had a higher purpose for you. It might have even led you here." _'Which I'm very thankful for.'_ Yuna happily giggled. _'It's even possible my fate is intertwined with his. What other reason is he here for?'_ Her fanciful thought caused her to blush. To rid herself of it, she urged Squall to continue. "So then after that, you lost your home and forced to live out on the streets, right?"

He shook his head. "Not right away. After losing my home I was sent to a Yevon orphanage. After a few months, I got sick of all the teachings of Yevon crap so I just busted out of there one night. It was then that I started to live on the streets on my own."

Yuna gave him an astounded look. "You left the safe care of an orphanage just because of that!"

Squall gave her a stern look. "My parents were faithful followers of the teachings but they still got killed. Ever since then, I've been able to see Yevon for what it really was, a bunch of hypocritical bullshit. The finest example of that was how they forbid the use of machina yet they utilized machina weaponry for their special forces. I guess you could say I held a grudge against Yevon."

"Yes, I understand your feelings, but was that really a good enough reason to risk your life on the streets?"

"It was for me. Anyway, I spent a year living pretty much nowhere until I decided it was time to exact my vengeance." He was starting to feel the raw emotion of hatred from back then.

"You mean against Sin?"

"Yes, I wanted revenge for the life it took from me." He looked angrily at his tightly clenched fist. "I wanted to destroy it with my bare hands. To do that, I joined the Crusaders, which then allowed me to begin a long rigorous training to make myself stronger. For years I practiced all forms of fighting techniques and constantly pushed my body to the edge of its physical limits. I also studied all types of magic from around the world including the temples. I even learned some forbidden and long forgotten magic. I learned anything that would give me power. It had become my whole life's purpose to find and destroy Sin."

"Wow. You must have put yourself thru many hardships to do all that." Yuna was afraid to think of the kind of training he had to endure.

"You can't even begin to imagine what I had to go thru. Nevertheless, it was well worth it. I saw the kind of power I was gaining as I traveled the world, challenging the fiercest of fiends." Squall suddenly became crestfallen. "…However, I still couldn't conquer Sin. The best I could manage was matching its power. And of course, before I had the chance to finally become strong enough, someone else came along and vanquished Sin before I did." He then gave Yuna an accusing glare.

'…_!?'_ Yuna was dumbfounded and blankly stared back at him. Under his menacing gaze, she felt herself slowly shrinking back. _'[It's a pleasure to finally meet the person who took my purpose in life away from me.]'_ His words from one of their first encounters suddenly passed thru her head. It had completely mystified her as to its true meaning until now. She gradually opened her mouth. "…It…it was your life's purpose…to destroy Sin…and get revenge."

"You're damn right it was." Squall spited out.

"I…I'm sorry." Yuna looked down to her lap in a forlorn manner. "I was just trying to do what was best for everyone in Spira." She didn't know why she was apologizing. All she knew was she had upset Squall and it made her feel miserable.

"Don't be stupid!" The black lion snapped at her.

"Huh!?" Yuna looked up at him perplexed.

"Since when do you have to apology to anyone for saving the world? What I just said is not blame towards you, its regret for something I could not do."

Yuna didn't say anything right away as she gazed at him with sadness in her eyes. "…I suppose it is silly of me to apologize, but still…" She looked away from him. "…I still feel responsible somehow. You worked so hard for all those years and then it all amounted to nothing because of something I did."

Squall stared at her a few moments longer as if he were examining her profile. When he looked towards the sky, the smallest of smiles now graced his lips. _'She really is something.'_ She clearly cared enough about him to blame herself for something she was not at fault. He could not hold any ill feelings towards someone like her. "You could be right in a way, I was upset about that. And to be completely honest, I even resented you for a while."

Yuna's head became downcast. Her spirit was drastically lowered. While in her misery, she failed to notice what he just said was in the past tense.

"But none of that matters anymore. There's no point in me thinking about the past. I'll live with only thoughts about my future from now on."

Yuna then slowly looked up with hope in her eyes. "Then does that means you don't resent me anymore?"

Squall faced her with an annoyed look. "I will if you keep talking like an idiot."

She took that as a yes and suddenly felt the urge to hug him tightly. She restrained herself and showed her appreciation with a grateful smile. "I'm very happy to hear that."

"Besides, I no longer have a reason to resent anyone or anything. Not since I've found something that I once lost." He wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.

"Really, what is it?" Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

'_Damn, I said too much.'_ Squall realized his blunder. "Oh, I just meant that with Sin gone, I had to find a new purpose in life." He promptly said to cover the real truth.

"Which is?"

"To protect those who are important to me." He answered without hesitation.

Yuna gasped. "I…I see." She felt the warm blush on her cheeks with a hand. _'Could I possibly be one of those who are important to him?'_ It would have been way too embarrassing to ask him that.

Squall was relieved to see her fall for his deception. To make things better, he didn't lie to her. He just misled her with other vague truths. "Good." He nodded. "I guess we're done here." He felt he had answered all her inquires and with that he started to get up.

"No wait." She quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. She remembered what she really wanted to hear and was still a little scared to ask about. "There's just one more thing I want to ask you?"

The mercenary knew an escape was too good to be true. He groaned and ran a hand thru his hair. "Alright. Make it quick."

"Oh, okay. Umm…" Yuna was trying to think of a way to put it delicately while also avoiding eye contact. "…I spoke with Lucil and she mentioned you and her used to see each other…'intimately'."

"What do you mean by 'intimately'? You have to be more specific."

She stared at him in a panic. _'Is he serious!?'_ "You…you know what I mean." She stammered.

"No, I don't." He was in fact serious.

"You really want me to say it out loud!?"

"Say what?" This was getting tiresome.

'_OH NO! He's actually going to make me say it.'_ Yuna was left with no other choice. "…I…I mean…" She looked far away from him. "…sexually." Her entire face was flushed.

"Is that all? Why the hell didn't you just say that in the first place?" The agitated mercenary sternly reprimanded the high summoner. He then, with a grunt, looked away in disgust. "Yeah, we were. So what about it?"

"Well. She is my friend and I'm worried about her." She shyly spoke. "When she was talking about the times the two of you shared, she seemed sad and hurt. It's obvious whatever happened between you is still tormenting her today. I just want to know what happened." It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it was still close enough.

"I never gave her what she wanted from me." Squall simply stated.

Yuna gazed at him questionably. "You mean…love?"

"Yes." He nodded. "As well as affection, commitment, and for me to express my true feelings. Basically, anything you would expect from a serious couple."

"But Lucil said she was happy just being with you." She objected.

"That's not entirely true. She said that to try and convince herself. The truth of the matter is she wanted everything she could never get from me. I warned her before we started anything. I told her there was no room in my life for anything else, other than to destroy Sin. She stubbornly refused to listen to any of my warnings and said she could accept anything." To anyone else, recounting accounts of failed relationships was a grueling task. Squall, however, felt no strain or emotion.

"Alright, then what about you? If you didn't love her or anything close to that, what was she to you?"

"Honestly, Lucil was just there to provide some occasional 'comfort'." Seeing Yuna's bashfulness from earlier when mentioning sex, he attempted to be discreet and spare her from any further embarrassment.

"Excuse Me!?" She asked wide-eyed.

Squall narrowed his eyes and gave her a pitiful look. His attempt at discretion fell short. _'Yuna could be a bit of a prude.'_ He gave up and said it straight. "I used her for sex. She was my official mating source. That's all she was to me. Don't forget it was her idea. She started it."

"…" Yuna stopped breathing while stupidly gaping.

Since she didn't utter a word, he figured she wanted him to continue. "Now that I think about it, what I said is wrong. I was more of a mating source to her than she was to me. She demanded sex a hell of a lot more than I ever did." Squall rubbed his chin as he thought more carefully. "Hmmm…Lucil is quite an aggressive woman. That would explain many of the erotic things she's done. For example, one time she bought some restraints and she used them to…"

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Yuna yelled while wildly waving her arms. "That is way more than I needed to hear. I just wanted to know why she was upset and you already answered that." She started slapping his shoulder in embarrassed anger. "I didn't ask for any details about your twisted sex life you pervert. How dare you say such things to me?" She did not relent in hitting him as she verbally scolded him.

Squall just sat there quietly receiving his punishment for a minute or two until finally her hands were too sore to go on. He then turned to her. "Are you thru?" He calmly asked.

"…Yes." A panting former summoner replied.

"Good. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah. Operation Mi`ihen is the reason she hates you, right?" Yuna promptly asked. She was exhausted and no longer cared about being sensitive to his feelings or suffering further humiliation. She had already gone thru the range of emotions while talking to him, so enough was enough.

The mercenary sighed in frustration. "Is she still blaming me for that? That woman can sure hold a grudge. So what do you want to know, why I refused to be in it?"

Yuna just nodded.

"It's simple, I didn't want to work with those Yevon bastards in any way. You should know now exactly how I feel about them. I was told the operation was their idea to begin with. It wouldn't have succeeded even if I had participated. There would have been too many people in my way. I could never fight at my full potential with others around because I'd risked endangering their lives. That is why I always tried to battle Sin alone. Lucil refused to accept it and is probably why she despises me to this day."

Yuna shook her head. "No, you're wrong. She doesn't hate you just because you didn't participate in the operation. It's because of the lives that could have been spared if you had partaken in it. She said Sin would've survived anyway, but at least you could've saved many of the Crusaders that died that day." She then saw something very unexpected, he was visibly startled with his eyes opening wide. However, he quickly covered whatever he was feeling with his usual bleak expression. _'What just happened?'_ She couldn't determine what it meant.

Something had clicked inside of Squall. _'Lucil is right, I could have saved them.'_ He looked down, leaving his head slightly hanging. "There is no denying it, Lucil is right." He spoke softly. "I have no right to blame her for hating me. The thought of saving my comrades lives never crossed my mind. I was only concerned with how the operation would fail and would not help me to destroy Sin. I…I failed them!"

Yuna felt he could have been hurting. She reached over to him and began gently rubbing his back. "Maybe you're right and you should have been there for them." Her soothing voice had a calming effect on him. "But that's not the way things turned out. You have to learn from your mistakes and move on. Even if you were there, many people would've still died that day."

'_Now you're wrong Yuna. I could've saved most of them. I know I could.'_ The black lion didn't say it since there was no point in arguing it with her. He just accepted his shame without a word.

"You should also take comfort in knowing those brave men and women died fighting for a cause they believed in. They all had an honorable death. I took comfort in that, even as I was performing the sending and guiding their spirits to the Farplane."

"…Yeah." Squall softly agreed.

Yuna smiled at him tenderly while still rubbing his back. _'It was an awful mistake for him to commit. Yet, I'm very pleased to see that he really did care about them. He clearly regrets it terribly.'_ Her fears of him being a heartless monster faded with the wind. She grasped her hands together on her lap and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Now she just wanted to relax and enjoy the scenery in blissful silence, of course in Squall's company.

It had been a very fulfilling day for the lady summoner. Someone she cares for very much said she was a beautiful woman, in his own semi perverted way. She ran a great distance to someone's rescue, which proved pointless in the end. She even almost kissed someone, which still heavily embarrassed her. Then with her comrades, completed the sale of the sphere. She helped an old friend in pain from a past relationship, even though it was unintentional. But most importantly, to her anyway, she learned a great deal about Squall that day. She even got him to answer all her questions without making it an order. As a result, she felt closer to him than ever. It made her smile broadly.

As she reminisced over the day's events, something suddenly came to mind. _'[…his mysterious eyes. They were always far reaching, staring only at things in the distance, never at anything close by…]'_ She remembered what Lucil thought of Squall's eyes. This was the perfect time for her to see what his orbs revealed.

Squall was currently watching the clouds over the ocean's horizon.

Yuna steadily turned to him and then gazed into his eyes. _'I can't see what Lucil did. To me, it seems he's more aware of things nearby than far away. My impression is totally different. When I look into his eyes, I see gentleness and loneliness. I even see a fire, a warmth…no, that's not right. It's the other way around, his eyes make me feel warm inside…'_

"What are you gawking at?" Squall had noticed her staring and grew tired of it.

"…Ahh, nothing!" She quickly looked away. _'Just great! Now he's pissed at me again. He always is whenever I'm around him. Just like…oh! That's right! Lucil said he only allowed her near him because he could tolerate her presence. Is it the same with me?' _ She had to find out. "…Um. Squall, can I ask you something again?"

"What?"

Yuna faced him but did not meet his sight. "Can you tolerate my presence?" She put it in the same words he probably would.

Before responding, Squall got to his feet and started walking away. "With you, I don't have a choice." He then picked up his pace and moved faster. It almost seemed as if he was running away from something. (Of course, Squall is NOT afraid of anything.)

"HEY! What is that supposed to mean?" Yuna glared at his back with an angry pout. She got up and chased after him.

-o-

Night had fallen and everyone in the Celsius was asleep, except for one. Squall was on his bed, lying on his back, staring up at his right hand. He watched as it continually closed into a tight fist then opened up again. _'I failed…I failed to do my duties as a Crusader, the two most important, to destroy Sin and to protect human life. I even forgot that included the lives of my fellow Crusaders. But never again! Never again will I fail to protect those who are precious to me…especially her.'_ An image of the most important person to him came to mind. _'It's now my sworn duty. I will always watch over her and make it certain she'll have a full happy life. If I must, I'll give up everything I have to make sure it happens…even my own life!'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Yet another month had passed for the Gullwings, thankfully without any major incidents. The only real disturbance was the occasional confrontation between Yuna and Squall. With Yuna doing all the yelling and Squall making a sly comment or ignoring her completely, either of which still infuriated her. She did feel closer to him, but that didn't make her any less hostile.

Since business was slow again, the Gullwings spent much of their time voyaging thru the skies. With any luck, their instruments will pick up some life signs of a sphere. At the very least, there was no urgency in the matter. Their last score was enough to tie them over for many more months to come.

Then, one day out of the blue, there was an incoming transmission thru the CommSphere network. "Please wait a moment, while I notify her." Upon seeing who was contacting them, Shinra quickly switched on the intercom of the ship. "Yuna, please come to the bridge right away. There is an urgent matter you have to attend to."

It wasn't long until the ex summoner came walking into the bridge. "What's this urgent matter? Is there something wrong?" She seemed a little concerned. It wasn't often she was called upon in such a manner.

Shinra jumped off the chair at his terminal. "No, not at all. I just thought you would want to talk to an old friend as soon as possible." He pointed towards the seat. "Sit down, he's waiting for you."

"Okay." Yuna moved to the terminal and her eyes lit up when she saw the face on the screen. "Kimahri!" She promptly sat down. "I'm so glad to see you, it's been too long. How are you doing?"

The Ronso nodded in agreement. "Kimahri fine. Elder duties keep Kimahri busy. Most now when Gagazet most anger."

"That's right. It's around this time of year when the weather becomes the most violent up there. I can't imagine how it must be for you right now."

"Yuna should come see." Kimahri suggested.

"What do you mean?" She wondered if he wanted her to visit.

"Kimahri contact Gullwings to help find new sphere."

"Really!? That's great. I can't thank you enough. What can you tell us?" Yuna was already excited. She had recently developed a real passion for sphere hunting, unlike when she first started. In the beginning, it was a quest to find any trace of her love that faded away, Tidus. It was even Kimahri who originally found the first sphere that contained a vague image of him (which later turned out to really be Shuyin). These days, she could barely remember whatever happened to that sphere.

The Ronso shook his head no. "Kimahri not have information, Ronso cubs do. That why Yuna should come."

"I understand, hold on a second." She spun around on the seat. "Buddy. If we go now, how long will it take us to reach Mt. Gagazet." She shouted across the bridge.

"If we rush, we should get there by tonight. Or if we maintain our current cruising speed, we'll arrive there tomorrow morning." Buddy responded from the monitoring station.

"Tomorrow morning is fine." She smiled at him.

"Do you really want to go there?" Buddy asked.

"WE'LL GO ANYWHERE YUNA WANTS TO GO, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!" Brother loudly scolded from the pilot's seat. To him, it seemed Buddy was second-guessing his beloved Yuna and he didn't like it.

"Yes, I do." Yuna did not pay attention to what Brother said. "We should go because Kimahri might be able to give us a lead on another sphere."

"No need to say anymore. I'll plot a course to that location in a jiffy." Buddy's fingers readily went to work on the control panel. "Are you receiving my data Brother?"

"RRRoger…" Brother eagerly nodded.

Yuna chuckled at their antics. She then turned back to the screen. "Did you hear that Kimahri? We should be there by tomorrow morning."

"Kimahri await Yuna's arrival." The Ronso Elder reached for his CommSphere and ended the transmission.

'_I should tell the others about this.'_ She got up and began heading to the exit. "Thank you for letting me use the CommSphere." She waved at the wiz kid.

"Any time." Shinra said.

-o-

Upon entering the cabin area, Yuna found Squall was already there sitting at the bar alongside Paine. _'Oh my, what a surprise? There they are, sitting together like a happy couple yet again.'_ She bitterly thought. She narrowed her eyes into a serious scowl at the scene before her.

Earlier, Squall had snuck up to the cabin when Yuna was called up to the bridge. He was happily enjoying Paine's company. That was until he detected the familiar floral scent in the air. _'Damn. She's here.'_ He peeked at Yuna thru the corner of his eye. When he saw her glaring at him, he knew he was in trouble. He could also feel the blaze of her stare bearing down on him. "I just remembered, my Lionheart is long overdue for a good polishing. I might also have to do some maintenance work on it. I'll see you later." He announced to the only person aboard he considered a friend and maybe something more.

"Men and their silly little hobbies." Paine shook her head in a disapproving manner. "Fine, whatever. Just go." She was not happy with him leaving so abruptly.

'_I'm truly sorry.' _He glanced at his friend once more as he stood to leave. He didn't want to go either, however with Yuna there and the way she was reacting to him, chances were she would start some kind of argument again. It was best for him to leave now and avoid the ordeal. As he was nearing the door, someone stood in his way, preventing him from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going?" The high summoner asked in an accusing manner. She positioned herself before the doorway, with her arms crossed over her chest. She gave him the same serious look.

"I'm just returning to my room." Squall spoke gently and raised his hands as if to surrender. He was trying to demonstrate he didn't want to cause any trouble.

"Really? Well I'm sorry Mr. Squall Leonhart. I can't quite let you go just yet." She spoke down to him condescendingly.

'_Great! She is definitely upset about something. It's a clear sign whenever a woman uses someone's full name. But what the hell did I do?'_ He never could come up with any definite answers when it came to Yuna. Perhaps a jealous rage was affecting her. "And why is that?"

"Because…" Her lips suddenly curved into a smirk. "as your employer, I'm ordering you to turn around and sit your ass back on that stool." Yuna pointed to where he had previously sat. She seemed to be deriving some twisted pleasure in the authority she held over him. This was her little revenge for something still unclear to her.

'_Bitch!'_ Was the only phrase in his mind as he angrily frowned.

"Yuna, why are you giving Squall such a hard time?" Paine had been watching the whole scene and wanted to put an end to it.

Yuna shoved the mercenary aside to clear her view of Paine. "It's the only way I can ever get this stubborn asshole to listen to anything I say. I swear, sometimes I would rather fight Vegnagun all over again than to deal with this pain in the ass."

Paine now had a nervous look. _'She certainly has been adding some new words to her vocabulary recently.'_

"I don't believe I've done anything to deserve such harsh words." Mr. Leonhart said in a low voice.

Yuna didn't avert her gaze as she brought a hand up to his face to shut him up and continued to address Paine. "Besides, I need everyone here for me to make an important announcement."

With a hand blocking his view, Squall became very annoyed with his superior. He quickly brushed her hand away. "If that is all this is about then you should have told me so and spared me from all your bullshit. And you call me a pain. Not once have I ever come across such an abusive, PMSing (Premenstrual Syndrome), little miss drama queen bitch like you." He finally said what he had wanted to say, no longer caring about the consequences.

Paine sorrowfully shook her head. "Squall my good friend, you just said something very stupid again."

Surprisingly, Yuna did not react as violently as anyone would have expected. Her eye twitched only once, right before she elbowed him in the gut. She didn't even glance his way. The force of the blow didn't cause him any real pain, but it was still enough to knock the air out of him. Yuna did seriously consider kicking him in every man's most vulnerable spot, however that would have further proven his point. She then displayed a brilliant smile. "Okay. Now we'll just wait for Rikku to get here and then I can fill you in on the latest news."

"Yunie, I'm right here." Rikku suddenly spoke up from where she was seated, right next to Paine.

"What!?" Since first entering the cabin, the high summoner had been so focused on Paine and Squall, she completely missed the presence of her own cousin who had been there the whole time. "Oh! Um. Great, now we can move on to business."

Squall, leaning over and struggling to catch his breath, finally decided to obey his order from earlier. On unsteady feet, he gradually made his way back to his stool. _'Fucking Bitch!'_

"Alright, I just spoke with Kimahri on the CommSphere. He said he knows someone that could give us a lead on a new sphere. Presently we're heading towards Mt. Gagazet to meet up with him. We should arrive early tomorrow morning. I hope none of you have any problems with this sudden change in plans."

"We had plans?" Rikku asked.

"…Well. Now that you mention it, actually no we didn't." Yuna said while scratching her head. "Anyway, that was all I had to say, unless one of you has a question for me."

Squall raised a hand from his abdomen. "How long will we be stationed there?"

"…So no one has anything to ask me?" Yuna looked closely at her two best friends while avoiding the sight of a certain someone.

'_Now she's ignoring me!'_ The black lion was very agitated.

Rikku raised her hand next. "Isn't this the coldest time of year in the mountain?"

Yuna smiled at her. "Yes it is. I was just talking about it with Kimahri. He said he was having a tough time because of it."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, really I am, but how long will we stay there?" Squall decided to give it another try.

"…Okay, I suppose this meeting is over since no one else has any more questions." Yuna turned around and started heading for the exit.

"Damn it! Paine can you please help me with this?" He pleaded to his only friend.

'_Poor guy.'_ Paine sighed deeply. "Yuna, how long are we going to be there?"

Yuna stopped and turned around again. "I'm not really sure. The whole day possibly."

"That's the best news I've heard in a while." Squall gladly said to Paine. With the good news, he no longer cared about the difficult time Yuna had put him thru.

'_Why is he so happy?'_ By some miracle, Yuna could now hear everything he said. She was curious about why staying at Mt. Gagazet was such good news.

"Really? Why is that?" Paine asked.

"Because I'll be able to do some real training there. With its harsh cold environment and thin air because of the high altitude, makes it an ideal place to train. I can't remember the last time I had a real workout. The leisurely lifestyle here didn't suit me. I can feel my body getting weaker with each passing day." Squall suddenly felt the cold gaze of an overwhelming presence behind him.

"Wait just one minute!" Yuna stood tall with purpose, her hands at her waist. "You're not planning on pulling another reckless stunt like you did with the Den of Woe, are you?"

"…"

"ANSWER ME DAMN YOU!" She shouted at his back when there was no response.

"…I think something is wrong with me." The mercenary rested his head on a hand.

"What!? What's wrong?" Yuna stepped back in confusion.

Paine, who was of a similar mind as him, quickly caught onto Squall's little game. "You must have what's been going around lately. You're hearing things right?"

Squall nodded while rubbing his head. "Yeah. But it's not just random noises, it's more like a bunch of annoying voices. I think I better go lay down."

"Yes, you should." Paine agreed.

"Alright, I've had enough of this game." Yuna caught onto the fun they were having at her expense. "It's making me mad so stop it right now."

"I better hurry, the voices are getting louder." Squall stood up and began to leave the cabin.

Yuna followed right behind him, steaming with anger. "WHERE are you going? I'm not finished with you yet."

"There's one of those voices again. I must be really sick." He said to the thin air.

"SQUALL YOU BASTARD! Stop this stupidity, turn around, and face me."

"Jeez, that voice sure has a bitchy attitude."

"…I'm going to kick your ass if you keep this up." She viciously warned in a low tone.

They disappeared into the corridor and nothing else could be heard from them. The other two girls were left blankly staring at the shut door.

"Yunie sure has been acting strange for a while now. She's becoming more and more mean. Have you noticed that too?"

"Yes, I have. She's always defensive and gives you attitude if you question her about it." Paine knew this conversation was unavoidable and long overdue.

"It's getting harder and harder to see the sweet Yunie I've always known and loved. I'm not really certain but I think Squally might have something to do with it." Rikku commented as she stared down at her lap in wonder.

Paine suddenly looked at the blond in mild shock. "You're just figuring that out!? Of course, he has everything to do with it. Yuna started acting like this the very moment he came into our lives."

"Well I thought that too at first, because I imagined she maybe had a crush on him. But then I realized that's impossible, the only man there could ever be for her is Tidus. And Yunie isn't the type to show her affections by constantly yelling at you and sometimes even physically abusing you. But then on the other hand, when I look at the present Yunie, I can't help thinking maybe I don't know her as well as I used to." Rikku was at a total loss as to what to make of this situation.

"Whether she likes him or not is debatable, especially when you consider the way she's protective of him. What we do know for sure is that Squall is responsible for the change in Yuna. We're seeing a whole new side of her thanks to him."

"We'll just have to somehow corner her and then pry some answers out of her. The only question is how we're going to do that." Rikku closed her eyes in serious thought.

"Don't include me in any of your schemes." The female warrior objected.

"Oh, come on! Aren't you just as curious as I am? Don't you want to know what's going thru her head when it comes to Squally?"

"Regrettably, yes I am. However, there's no need to rush into anything. The opportunity to question Yuna will present itself. We'll just have to be patient." Paine concluded.

"I hope you're right."

-o-

The following morning Yuna was making her way up a mountain path to where most of the Ronso dwelled. She went along with eagerness in her step, since she was about to see her oldest and one of her dearest friends, Kimahri. He became a parent figure to Yuna, after the death of her father, and helped raise her in Besaid.

Not far behind, Rikku and Paine each held a smile of their own. They were observing the high spirits of their leader, which had become a rare sight.

"Wow. Yunie is actually happy for once. This is the Yunie I've always known." Rikku cheerful declared as she bounced along.

"I think you're overreacting a bit. It's not like she's never in a good mood and is always depressed." Paine looked at her leader again. "But you're right about one thing, it's been a while since she's been happy like this."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Right now she is more like her old self, like before she left Tidus. Hopefully she'll stay this way."

Paine shook her head. "No, she won't. That will change once Squall shows up."

"Speaking of which, why isn't he here with us?"

"He said he wasn't interested in meeting any of Yuna's friends and that gathering Intel wasn't a part of his job." Paine then cracked a smile, finding his reply amusing.

"That's a typical Squally type answer. Anyway, didn't he say he wanted to go out training today? I really want to join him. I think it'll be a blast." _'Not to mention I'll get some alone time with such a hunk.'_ A giddy smirk soon appeared on the blond.

"No need to worry about that. He'll come along sooner or later just for that purpose."

-o-

A few minutes later, they were in a valley where travelers could normally find the Ronso.

"KIMAHRI." Yuna's sudden shout caught everyone's attention as she jumped into the Ronso's waiting arms. "It has been far too long. I've missed you."

"Kimahri happy to see Yuna. Kimahri been anticipating arrival." The Ronso Elder released her from his massive arms and stepped back to get a better look at her. It has been nearly two years since he had last seen her in person. "Still same Yuna. No change."

"Of course, only two years have passed since we last met. Although, I have been told that I've become even more beautiful." The usually modest high summoner did several erotic poses to demonstrate her point.

Kimahri looked upon her with raised brow. "Not know what Yuna mean. Yuna appear same as when Kimahri first meet little Yuna."

She was shocked by what he said. "Are…Are you saying I look like a child!?"

The Ronso Elder could not comprehend her reaction and could only give a slight nod saying yes.

Yuna lowered her head and let the bangs cover her face. No one could see her expression. When she clenched her fists, the other girls took that as a warning sign that the newer, meaner Yuna was about to emerge. They didn't waste time stepping in between their leader and the Ronso Elder.

"Kimahri, my good old friend, long time no see. How's everything going?"

As Rikku distracted Kimahri, Paine quickly pulled Yuna aside. "Yuna, calm yourself. Verbally bashing someone is no way to say hello." She said in a whisper.

"Ah!" Yuna snapped out of tempestuous state of mind and was instantly horrified. She realized what Paine said was right; she was about to attack the one person who could never intentionally hurt her physically or emotionally. _'What's wrong with me? I thought I only acted this way with Squall, but now I'm lashing out at __others__.'_ All the problems since leaving Tidus and meeting Squall, and the stress that it caused, was finally taking its toll on her. _'It feels like everything inside me is clashing with each other. But clashing over what?'_ Then an imposing figure shadowed her.

"Yuna alright?" Kimahri showed his concern. To his well-trained eyes, she appeared to be in distress.

'_No, I'm making Kimahri worried. Now is not the time to ponder my conflicting emotions.'_ Yuna displayed a smile to reassure him. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

The Ronso Elder gazed down at the high summoner with concern still written on his features. After spending many years watching over her as she grew, he knew she wouldn't share her troubles with anyone unless they were too much for her to handle on her own. _'Yuna strong as ever.'_ He greatly admired, as did all Ronso, Yuna's strength of character that even surpassed the power of Mt. Gagazet. "If Yuna say so." He will just have to trust her as he always did.

"Come. Kimahri lead way to…" At that moment, something caught the Ronso's attention. A black figure just entered the valley. It was someone he had never seen before. This stranger headed towards the other end of the valley in long purposeful strides. It seemed he intended to scale the mountain. Kimahri's animal instincts told him something was out of the ordinary with this stranger.

"What's wrong?" Yuna turned in the direction of what had caught the Elder's attention. "Oh. So he finally decided to show up." She didn't know why, but she felt happy again.

"Yuna know him?" Kimahri asked in a grim tone.

"That would be Squall. He joined the Gullwings not too long ago. He has a few personality flaws, though he's proven himself to be a valuable addition to the team. Sometimes he does cause me trouble, but overall I'd say I'm very happy to have him around." Yuna then forgot herself as she stared at Squall as if he were a distant dream.

Kimahri noticed the change in Yuna's demeanor. The way she was looking at him and the way she was smiling, he had seen this only once before. The last time was shortly after first meeting Tidus. He was alarmed by what he was witnessing. _'Yuna only look at Tidus that way, never anyone else.'_

"Oh, what am I thinking? I should introduce him to you." The former summoner remembered her manners and was responsible for introductions.

Paine foresaw the potential for trouble by inviting Squall over and decided to warn her leader. "Yuna just leave him alone. You know where he stands when it comes to meeting people."

"Don't be absurd, it's rude to skip introductions."

"But he'll probably do something even more rude." Paine tried to warn her once more.

"SQUALL, COME OVER HERE AND SAY HELLO." Yuna called out to the mercenary. Paine's warnings fell on deaf ears.

Squall couldn't care less about meaningless greetings. There was something he intended to do and was not about to let any obstacle get in his way. All he offered was a slight wave of the hand without even looking and continued on his way.

Yuna, to say the least, was not happy with his response. "The nerve of that man! I'm not about to let him get away!" She then sprinted after him. When she reached him, without a word she grabbed him hard by the ear and pulled him back towards the others.

"HEY! What the fuck are you doing!? If you pull any harder you'll rip it off!" The helpless warrior could do nothing as the overly abusive woman pulled him along. He could not deny it, this time he was actually feeling pain.

Paine and Rikku both sighed in frustration while Kimahri stood astonished at watching the out of character behavior of Yuna.

When Yuna reached the others, she finally released the degraded mercenary. "Now be a good boy and introduce yourself." She gave him a fierce glare as she commanded him.

"…Hello, my name is Squall Leonhart." Squall offered no handshake or said anything else; he only returned the same fierce look to Yuna. He was most likely anger from the way she treated him. His pride was hurt much more than any part of his body. Being pulled along by the ear like a child tended to do that to a man.

"I must apology for my companion's impoliteness. Sometimes he just doesn't know any better…" When she switched her gaze to Kimahri, she noticed he too was acting differently. "Kimahri, what's wrong?"

The Ronso Elder remained silent. He was sternly looking down at the man standing before him. He held up his guard because this man's presence drove him to the edge of caution. Kimahri sensed something from the man he could not put into words. He did know it was something dangerous. _'Yuna's friend very dangerous man!'_ What was worst, Yuna appeared to have a similar interest in this man as she once did in Tidus. _'What Yuna thinking being with man like him? Kimahri must protect Yuna.'_ His protective nature, as a parent of sorts, compelled him to at least test the man's strength to see if he was worthy of standing at Yuna's side. Much in the same way Tidus was tested years back.

"No, Kimahri you wouldn't…" Upon seeing the threatening gaze of the Ronso, Yuna had an idea of what he intended on doing. _'You're not going to attack Squall like you did Tidus, are you?'_

While that was happening, Squall was still angrily gazing at his tormentor. _'I would have killed at least ten fiends by now if it wasn't for this bitch. And she actually dared to grab me by the ear and degrade me. Never before have I ever been so tempted to slap a woman…Huh!'_ He suddenly sensed a murderous intent and for once it was not coming from Yuna. _'It seems Yuna's friend has a death wish. She better not cry if he tries something and ends up dead.' _ Squall, not being one to cower away from a foe, faced Kimahri for the first time.

The moment their eyes met, Kimahri was struck with an overwhelming sense of fear that left him paralyzed. _'What wrong with Kimahri!?…Cannot Move!…Is Kimahri… afraid?…NO…Kimahri is Elder…Elder cannot be afraid!'_ The intensity in the mercenary's eyes caused the Ronso's surroundings to fade to pitch-black, leaving only him and the blazing blue flame from the pair of eyes. In the world of darkness, Kimahri could only hear the echoing of his rapid heartbeats and ragged breaths. Regardless of what he was going thru, the only visible change to the stoic Ronso was the wide-open eyes. He was the only one that could sense the true depths of Squall's persona.

Once Squall saw the Ronso was no longer a threat, he turned and walked away. "I said hello so if there is nothing else, I'm out of here."

"Wait, I'm going with you." Rikku chased after him.

"What now?" He stopped and looked down at her with displeasure.

"What's with the sour look? I just want to go with you to train."

"No."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO!? I can help you a lot out there by watching your back." She loudly protested while waving her arms about.

"No you won't. You will only be a hindrance to me. And with your lack of clothing, your little ass will be frozen in minutes especially at this time of year when Gagazet is at its coldest and its winds are at their strongest." Squall pointed to her outfit.

"You don't know who you're talking to. I've gone up and down this mountain dozens of times while wearing the same exact attire I have on now. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl." Rikku went as far as to poke him repeatedly on the chest while she spoke.

Squall gave her a condescending look. "Have you ever scaled this mountain at this time of year?"

"…No." She suddenly felt stupid. "But who cares, what difference does it make? Quit complaining about such trivial things. Besides…" A mischievous smile now graced her lips. "…with me wearing this, you'll enjoy the show that much more."

"What are getting at?"

"Come on, don't play dumb." She crossed her arms behind the head and stuck out her chest to emphasize the curves and proportions of her body. "While watching me in battle, you'll get more fan service from a beauty like me than most men can dream about. Any of my countless admirers would kill to switch places with you."

'_What a load of bullshit.'_

"RIKKU! Just what are you intending on doing?" Yuna abruptly steps in between the two.

"Use your imagination. It's not that difficult to figure out." Rikku sidestepped her cousin and made her way to Squall. She wrapped both her arms around one of his, hugging it tightly to her chest. "When a young man and woman venture out together, many things can happen between them. I must admit, I'm looking forward to 'it'."

Yuna's eye twitched. She struggled to keep herself under control. "…What about Gippal?"

"He's not here right now and we're not really in any kind of committed relationship." The blond thief smiled as if to patronize the high summoner. "I am 'wide-open' for other opportunities."

'_Little Slut!'_ Yuna's razor-sharp gaze could almost cut thru the blond. "Fine. However, I don't think Squall wants you to go along."

"Reeeally! Then let's just ask him." Rikku gently tugged his arm. "That's not true is it? You do want to spend some alone time with me, don't you? You'll never know what I'll be willing to do." Her honey-coated words were even accompanied with a meaningful wink.

As they waited for his answer, Yuna could almost smile as she anticipated another one of his demeaning comments, which tended to cut even one's soul. She, sadly enough, knows how it feels from her extensive personal experience. _'I can't wait to see the look on her face.'_

"Whatever. I just want to get started." Squall was growing impatient.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Yuna was thunderstruck. _'Start what exactly!?'_

"WOW! Did you hear that Yunie? I never knew he could be so bold."

"Enough. I don't care anymore. If you're coming with me then come." His annoyance had reached its limit. He could no longer tolerate the girls.

"You're absolutely right. We're wasting time here. Let's be on our way." With that the pair marched on side by side, Rikku firmly holding onto his arm, even when he tried to pull it away.

Yuna, on instinct, grabbed Squall's other arm, stopping the two. "No, I can't let you."

"What's the problem now?" He wanted to yell but that would have worsened the situation.

"Yeah Yunie. Is there some problem with me accompanying our dear Squally?" Rikku tried to sound high and mighty. "Oh my! Could it be that you're…jealous?"

So surprised by the sudden accusation, Yuna jumped back completely red faced. "I…I am no such thing!"

"If that's not it then what is it?" The blond thief continued to pile on the pressure, much to her own enjoyment.

"Well…" No answer came to the high summoner's mind. "…it…it's just not right."

"When you come up with a real reason, feel free to let us know. Until then, this hunky man and I will be spending some quality time together. Alone!" Rikku left again with Squall in tow.

"I'll let you know now, if you can't keep up with me, I won't hesitate to leave you behind." The black lion gave fair warning.

As Yuna watched them moving away, she debated on how she was going to stop them. She was interrupted before she could chase after them.

"Yuna, forget about them and concentrate on the matter at hand. We came here for a reason remember?" Paine found it strange having to remind their leader of her duties.

"I know but…" Yuna reached out her hand in an attempt to somehow grasp the shrinking figures of Rikku and Squall.

"But nothing. Come on, I need your help, something seems to be wrong with Kimahri." Paine informed her.

"Kimahri?" Yuna looked back at the Ronso and saw him just standing there. When she stood right in front of him, he still did not react. He had an empty look in his eyes. "Kimahri, are you okay?"

At the sound of her voice, the black world of Kimahri faded away. When he snapped back to his senses, he frantically looked around for the man in black as if he could be attacked at any moment. _'What he do to Kimahri!?'_

"You're so pale. You look like you just saw a ghost." Yuna was becoming worried. She had never seen him like this.

The Ronso Elder then noticed the two girls. They seemed very concerned. It appeared no one else knew what had happened to him. "Sorry. Kimahri fine." He shook his head to clear his mind. The man in black was nowhere to be found. Having that kind of man close to Yuna worried the Ronso to no end. He gazed down. "What that man to Yuna?"

Yuna was taken aback. "Well that certainly came out of nowhere. Why do you ask?"

"Kimahri not comfortable with him near Yuna."

"I don't know why you're saying that but Squall is really a good person underneath that rough exterior. He's just difficult at times like what you witnessed. Squall is…a friend you could say." _'Though I'm not sure myself. He is a friend to me but what am I to him?'_

Kimahri was not convinced. "Yuna sure that man mean nothing more?"

The high summoner blushed and shrank back a little more. "Wha…What else can there be? We're just friends. It's not like he's my boyfriend." _'Could he be? Would he want to be?'_ She didn't know what was going thru her head or what she was feeling. Her gazed dropped to the ground and she remained silent.

Paine was intrigued by her leader's reaction. _'Too bad Rikku left. She would have loved to have seen this. This is precisely what we were talking about yesterday.'_

The Ronso Elder begun to see Yuna was conflicted and did not want to reveal the whole truth. "Kimahri apologize. Yuna's business not Kimahri's business." He'll trust her judgment as always.

"No, no. There's no need to apologize. You were just concerned about me." Yuna gave him a beautiful smile. "That is why I love you. You looked out for me since my father died. You protected me as my guardian when I was a summoner. Now you're still doing the same as always. But please don't think poorly of Squall. I promise you he won't do anything to hurt me."

'_Yes, he won't hurt you physically, however emotionally…'_ Paine thought to herself.

Yuna started to laugh. "With the way you were staring down Squall, I thought you were going to attack him like you did with Tidus…!" She said it, she spoke his name. _'Tidus.'_ It had been some time since she had spoken his name out loud. Just by mentioning it depressed her.

"Come. Follow Kimahri." He turned and walked away, wanting to distract Yuna from her misery.

"Where are you taking us?" Paine asked.

"To Lian and Ayde. Ronso pups know sphere location."

"Really?!" The former summoner lit up. "How are those two?" She thought they were very sweet to try to find a way to restore Kimahri's lost horn two years ago.

"Yuna see herself." Kimahri, Ronso of few words. He led them thru the Ronso tribe in the valley until they finally found the two pups. "Lian. Ayde. Yuna here."

At the Elder's announcement, the two pups waited no time in approaching the high summoner. "Lian and Ayde missed Lady Yuna very much." Each took a turn warmly hugging Yuna, nearly crushing her to death with their increasing strength.

"Oh…okay." Yuna had trouble staying on her feet when let go. She was surprised by the size of those two. They were now as tall as she was and they were still only children in the Ronso tribe. "Wow, you two have gotten so big. I'm almost afraid of seeing you when you're both fully grown. I think you might even become stronger than Kimahri."

The pups were embarrassed by her words, to be compared to their grand Elder. "Lady Yuna flatters Lian and Ayde too much." The two were so close they always spoke as one.

"Tell Yuna sphere location." Insisted the Ronso Elder.

"Right!" The pups jumped to attention. "On one of Lian and Ayde's quests thru Spira, we came upon a cave in the Thunder Plains. We decided to go in and explore. Shortly after entering, far into the cave, we saw a slight glow in the darkness. With torches in hand, we advanced to the glow. As we were about to reach it, we saw something quite large moving in the shadows. We were frighten and did not move until it came within our sight. It was the most fearsome fiend Lian and Ayde had ever come across. It let out a loud roar that shook the walls of the cave. We ran for our lives and have never returned since. We have only told this to Elder Kimahri and now you Lady Yuna."

"I'm glad you two managed to survive and can now tell us your story." Yuna hugged the two pups at once. "The glowing object you saw was a sphere right?"

The pups looked at each in doubt. "Lian and Ayde did not see it but believe it was a sphere."

Yuna gave them a cheerful smile. "If you say so then it's good enough for me."

"Lady Yuna honors us." Lian and Ayde both bow deeply in appreciation.

"Wait." Paine interrupted. "What about the fiend, do you know which one it was?"

"Lian and Ayde not sure but think it was an Elder Drake."

"Wow, you two were lucky to get away." Paine was fairly impressed. _'These two kids must be pretty fast when they need to be.'_

"Is that possible, to find such a rare and powerful fiend in the Thunder Plains?" Asked Yuna.

Paine shook her head. "I don't know. It could be."

"Yuna should know now in world of Spira, anything possible." Kimahri added.

"Well, then we'll just deal with it when we get there. Just another day's work for the Gullwings. I'm sure Rikku will be excited about this." Yuna was also getting excited.

"Yuna. You seem to be forgetting we almost kicked the bucket the first time we encountered an Elder Drake." Paine felt the need to remind her of that fact.

"Yeah, I remember. But we've become much stronger since then." Said the high summoner with confidence.

"You said the same thing too back then until we were attack by two Elder Drakes at the same time and almost meeting our deaths once again." Paine shot back.

"…Oh. Yes, but we still persevered in the end." Said the high summoner with less confidence.

"Then there was the time…"

"Alright, I get your point!" Yuna almost shouted. "Enough of this lets go find Squall and Rikku and tell them the news." She then turned to the Ronsos. "We'll be back later to say goodbye."

"Why not Yuna wait here for friends return?" Asked Kimahri.

"I suppose I can do that but I really can't wait. I need to tell them right now."

"What Yuna is really trying to say is she is afraid of leaving Squall and Rikku alone for too long and wants to go separate them." Paine spoke the truth.

"SHUT UP!"


End file.
